


Making Miracles

by StarfireXL



Series: Pinky and the Popsicle (Gratsu Fic Collection) [6]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: But nothing detailed, Domestic Fluff, GRAY THOUGHT HE LOST THEIR CHILD, I wrote too much angst so I'm cleansing myself with fluff, M/M, Original Character - Freeform, Pregnancy, Rogue x Gray Brotp, Some dark themes, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, a bit of stingue and luvia, and their sweet daughter, but there's a tinyyyy bit of angst, cuz I love them emo babies, gratsuweek2k19, just mentions, mpreg Gray, sweet husbands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-16
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-06-29 20:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19837648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StarfireXL/pseuds/StarfireXL
Summary: But this was the real miracle. The fact that they were now separate beings, but still had that same connection. Something sacred, forged with unconditional love and patience and long hours spent dreaming about laughing faces and tiny hands and soft skin. They were apart from him, but they were still a part of him. No matter how far they traveled, the tether that bound them would never break. It would stretch, and twist, and knot, and fray, but it would not snap. And that was the greatest miracle of all.





	1. Love You Less

**Author's Note:**

> Ok so this whole fic is just self-indulgent domestic fluff. It does contain mpreg so if that bothers you then please DON'T READ THIS!! But if it doesn't, I hope you enjoy, and let me know what you think <3
> 
> Akira = sunlight and moonlight, bright, intelligent, wisdom, truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That nervousness came rushing back, an all-too familiar prickling against his skin. She looked so happy, safe and content as he tucked her under his arm. What the three of them had was something almost sacred. A delicate balance that had taken them years to get just right. Gray didn’t want anything to take this away, this sense of peace that settled over him from the moment Akira bounced into their lives. For a split second, Gray closed his eyes, imagining staying like this forever. Just him, Natsu, and their adoptive daughter. 
> 
> Nothing more, nothing less...
> 
> There was a flash of warmth in his belly, like a surge of magic. Soft tingling sensations rippled through his body as a tiny, almost inconspicuous pulse fluttered against his stomach with every breath he took.
> 
> A heartbeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: MPREG!
> 
> Enjoy <3

_Day 1: Pet_

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”

Gray bit his lip, fingers tapping nervously against their dining table. The entire surface was slowly being coated with ice, tendrils of frost spiraling out from his fingertips to reach across the tabletop. He didn’t even notice as the temperature dropped a few degrees, his magic responding to the frantic pounding of his heart.

“I mean, what if she freaks out?” Gray insisted, running a hand through his ruffled black hair, “What if she thinks we’re trying to replace her?”

Natsu shot him an exasperated look, his own body naturally heating up to combat the decreasing temperature, melting the pretty patterns of frost snaking across the table. He opened his mouth to reply, but Gray cut him off, blue eyes widening in horror, _“What if she thinks we don’t love her anymore?”_

“Gray!”

The ice mage jolted, looking up as Natsu rolled his eyes. The dragonslayer reached out, warm fingers intertwining with Gray’s, bringing up the ice mage’s trembling hand to brush a chaste kiss against his knuckles.

“Akira knows we love her, Snowflake. She’s our _daughter_. Nothing will ever change that.”

Gray nodded, more to himself than Natsu, his other hand coming up to rub against his stomach. Gray’s heart fluttered as his fingers ran up and down the slight bump growing there, cheeks warming when he thought about what it meant.

_Gods, the things I get myself into._

“You think too much,” Natsu teased, getting up and tugging Gray to his feet, “Besides, it’s probably just the hormones talking.”

Gray pouted as Natsu dragged him into the kitchen, “And whose fault is that? We wouldn’t be in this mess if it wasn’t for you and your stupid dragonslayer-mating-magic nonsense.”

A surge of irritation flooded through Gray when Natsu’s grin only widened, “You know, Ice Princess, you weren’t complaining this much when I was-”

Natsu broke off when Gray punched him in the shoulder, the raven haired man’s ears igniting with embarrassment. The dragonslayer laughed, deep and booming, as he leaned back against the countertop.

“Shut up, Flame Brain. I’m hungry,” Gray huffed, turning away from his husband. He rummaged through the fridge for anything remotely spicy, tuning out the muffled chuckles behind him. These days the cravings had been creeping up and ambushing him when he least expected it, the irrational urge to eat _something_ constantly hovering in the back of his mind.

Gray hummed contentedly as Natsu wrapped his arms around him, thumbs rubbing slow circles on his hips before coming around to brush against the little bump. He shuddered as the dragonslayer’s warm hands slipped under his shirt, caressing his stomach, rough, battle scarred fingers impossibly gentle against the soft skin.

“Are you just gonna stand there, or are you gonna help me find some damn food before I decide to eat _you_ instead?”

Natsu nuzzled into the back of Gray’s neck, placing sweet kisses against the flushed skin. A slight shiver rolled down the ice mage’s spine as Natsu dragged his fingertips slowly across his abdomen, a soft purr rumbling from deep inside his chest, “Mmmm you love me too much to do that.”

“Care to test that theory?” Gray muttered, shoving Natsu aside and slamming the fridge door closed, slumping against it in defeat. 

Natsu chuckled, pecking Gray’s cheek, “You want milkshakes? Or-”

“No,” Gray sighed, rubbing his stomach to ease the ache, “I need something spicy. Really spicy. Like grade A, flame-brained, melt-your-face-off kinda spicy.”

Natsu tilted his head in consideration, a slight glint of concern in his eyes, “I don’t think you’re supposed to have spi-”

“Got it!” Gray grinned, pulling open a slightly ajar cabinet door, scanning through the contents and triumphantly plucking out a bottle of Habanero hot sauce.

Natsu paled, “Please tell me you’re not…”

Gray hesitated, looking at the obnoxious yellow flame designs curling around the bottle. He could almost feel the heat of the sauce burning through the plastic, eyes watering as he popped the cap off. For a moment, he thought about what he was doing. Was he really going to chug pure hot sauce?

The sudden tug in his gut, the jolt of hunger that clawed at his stomach, the rolling ache that demanded nourishment answered for him.

Yes, yes he was.

_Damn cravings…_

Before he could chicken out, Gray tilted his head back, tipping the bottle and wincing as the liquid burned his tongue. He blinked back tears as his mouth was set on fire, trails of flames slithering down his throat and heating up his insides.

Gray gagged as he set the bottle down, face flushed a deep shade of scarlet as he coughed. His whole mouth tingled, buzzing from the sudden wave of spice, his usually cool body uncomfortably hot. But it got the job done, that irritating twinge of hunger fading into the background. For now, at least. 

“Gods, that’s nasty,” he choked out, shooting Natsu a glare as the fire mage doubled over in laughter.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Natsu gasped, swiping at the tears pricking his eyes, “That looked... _painful_.”

“Yeah well, it’s all _your_ fault,” Gray snapped back, stomping out of the kitchen, “You damn Pyro, giving our kid your insane spice tooth…”

He could still hear Natsu’s laughter echoing from the kitchen, rough and raspy and filling in all the empty holes inside him. He could still picture the mirth glimmering in his eyes, that familiar sparkle forever engraved in his mind, lighting up all the dark corners of his heart. He could still feel the tenderness of those fingers against his skin, calloused palms strangely careful when all they usually brought was destruction. And despite the prickle of annoyance, he couldn’t stop the warm swell of love rising in his chest.

They were going to have a baby.

A real, live baby.

It should be impossible, but then again, they had never played by the rules anyway. Bending and twisting and breaking them, one by one, until there was nothing to dictate what they could and couldn’t do. Biology was no exception. It made him wonder what other laws of nature they could defy, what other miracles they could make.

Gray glanced down at his mostly flat abdomen. He wasn’t really showing yet, at least nothing that couldn’t be hidden by a baggy shirt, but he knew one day his stomach would be massive. He winced at the thought, apprehension and nerves nagging at the back of his mind. He definitely wouldn’t enjoy that.

But underneath the anxiety and fear brewing inside him, there was a deep, pulsing ache. Longing for something he had never dreamed of before. Hope that he wouldn’t mess this up, that for once in his life he could do something right. Jittery excitement because one day he could help introduce their child, _their baby_ , to the world.

He just hoped it would be kinder to them than it was to him.

Gray was jerked from his thoughts as the front door swung open, whirling around as little footsteps thudded against the floorboards. He barely had the time to register a flash of black and gold before a bundle of energy collided with him, his devilslayer senses picking up on the sweet scent of baked goods and powdered sugar. His arms instinctively went around the small body, a soft rush of affection warming his skin as he settled the newcomer on his hip.

“Akira?” Gray’s brows furrowed with confusion, “How did you get back home, love?”

“Aunt Wendy walked me here, Papa,” the little girl flashed him a gap-toothed grin, squirming in his arms restlessly, “I walked ahead ‘cause I knew the way ‘thout any help!” 

Akira’s golden eyes glowed with pride and Gray couldn’t resist pressing a kiss to the top of her head. She giggled, nuzzling her face into Gray’s neck as he rearranged her slightly, carefully making sure she didn’t nudge his belly too hard.

That nervousness came rushing back, an all-too familiar prickling against his skin. She looked so happy, safe and content as he tucked her under his arm. What the three of them had was something almost sacred. A delicate balance that had taken them years to get just right. Gray didn’t want anything to take this away, this sense of peace that settled over him from the moment Akira bounced into their lives. For a split second, Gray closed his eyes, imagining staying like this forever. Just him, Natsu, and their adoptive daughter. 

Nothing more, nothing less...

There was a flash of warmth in his belly, like a surge of magic. Soft tingling sensations rippled through his body as a tiny, almost inconspicuous pulse fluttered against his stomach with every breath he took.

A heartbeat.

_I can’t do this._

“Akira, I have-”

“Hey, Sunshine!” A mixed wave of relief and irritation washed over Gray as Natsu appeared from the kitchen, broad grin widening when he caught sight of their daughter. Akira squealed, reaching out for Natsu with pudgy, sticky, six-year old hands.

“Daddy!” The ravenette’s smile matched the wide grin on Natsu’s face as he gently extracted her from Gray’s arms, tossing her up in the air before catching her.

“Whatcha doin’ back home so soon, Squirt?” 

Gray smiled, leaning against the wall as Akira burrowed into Natsu’s chest, fluffy black hair sticking up everywhere in wild tufts, dark, coppery skin blending with Natsu’s tanned arms.

“I missed you an’ Papa,” Akira blinked up at her father shyly, “Is it ok that I came home early?”

“Yeah, it’s ok, sweetness,” Gray replied, taking a step forward, “Me and Daddy actually had something to tell you…”

Akira perked up immediately, dark bangs sweeping across her face, “Like a surprise?!”

Gray sighed as she practically vibrated with anticipation, golden eyes sparkling. Such a far cry from when they had first adopted her. She had been so small and quiet back then, speaking only when spoken to, voice brittle and frail, like she would break if they nudged her too hard. Hiding out in her room for extended periods of time, tentatively slinking out when the house was shrouded in pin-drop silence, before scurrying back in at the first creak of a floorboard.

A couple months with Natsu and she did a complete one-eighty, standing only at three foot five, but filling the entire room with her presence. Her true personality had started to shine through like the sun breaking out of the clouds. 

Gray would do anything to keep those clouds away, to make sure that the light in her eyes never dimmed, even for a moment.

“Kinda like one, yeah,” Natsu responded, flopping down on the couch and settling their daughter on his lap, “I’m sure you’ll love it!”

Gray plastered on a tight smile, afraid that her hopes would come crashing down when she heard the news.

“A-Akira, honey…” the ice mage fiddled with his necklace, taking comfort from the cold metal against his fingertips, trying to muster up the right words, “W-We…”

Gray cut himself off, throat clenching in panic when he saw Akira’s wide, expectant eyes. The amber color was so warm and bright. Gray had to look away, chest tightening with emotion.

Natsu made a soft sound, grabbing Gray’s hand and giving it a squeeze as Akira’s face fell slightly, gaze flicking between her dads in confusion.

“W-We, um…” Gray took a deep breath, “We’re g-going to have a new addition to the family.”

For a long, awful moment, she was completely silent. Dread coiled inside Gray’s heart, a fist tightly clenching around it. He tasted the slight, metallic tang of blood in his mouth, his teeth puncturing his bottom lip after hours of worrying at it.

“Are we getting a puppy?!” 

Gray’s jaw dropped, at a loss for words as Akira bounced excitedly in Natsu’s lap.

“Ooh or maybe a kitty? Or a lizard? Or a hamster?!” Gray opened his mouth to correct her, but she kept barreling forward, “Oh, Oh! Are we getting a bunny?! Please can it be a bunny, please, please, pleaaaaasssseeeee?”

Gray glanced at Natsu, frantically pleading with him to help, but the dragonslayer was trembling with laughter, hand covering his mouth as he tried to hold back the giggles.

_Is he enjoying this?!_

Gray fumed. He probably was. Natsu would never pass up an opportunity to see Gray squirm. Well, screw him. He was obviously _not_ going to be any help.

“No, ‘Kira, we...we’re not getting a _pet…_ ”

Akira pouted, bottom lip sticking out and eyebrows scrunching together cutely, “Then what are we getting?”

Gray braced himself, “Honey, we’re having a baby.”

Akira blinked. One second passed. Then two. Then three. Four, five, six… 

By the time ten rolled around, Gray was ready to blurt out ‘just kidding!’ and forget any of this ever happened.

“I’M GONNA BE A BIG SISTER?!”

Gray grunted as Akira flung herself at him, small body trembling with happiness.

The ice mage let out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. The worry and stress he’d been carrying since the doctor’s appointment melting away all at once, making him feel as light as air. 

“Yeah,” Gray murmured into Akira’s hair, “Yeah, you’re gonna be a big sister, sweetheart.”

Akira glanced over her shoulder at Natsu, smile turning ten times as radiant when the dragonslayer nodded. 

“I’m so excited! I promise I’ll feed them and walk them and take care of them-”

Gray laughed, feeling dizzy from all the emotions colliding in his chest, “You don’t have to worry about that, Akira.”

“Yeah,” Natsu chimed in, “You leave all that stuff to us. All you have to do is be the best big sister you can be. Can you do that, Sunshine?”

“Yes!” Akira cheered, pumping her little fist in the air. She immediately scrambled off of Gray’s lap, looking around the house curiously, “Where are they? Are they hiding?”

“No, honey, they’re right here,” Gray took Akira’s tiny hand, placing it gently on his belly so she could feel the little bump.

He blinked in confusion as Akira gave him a horrified look. “PAPA, WHY DID YOU EAT THE BABY?!” 

Gray vaguely heard Natsu roar with laughter, completely dumbfounded as his daughter’s eyes started to tear up.

“N-No, that’s not...I didn’t eat the baby…” Gray fumbled for words, racking his brain for a sensible excuse that a six-year old would understand.

“Then...then how did they get in there?” Akira’s eyes rounded with innocence and concern, not even noticing the whole new fit of giggles erupting out of Natsu behind her.

Gray’s eye twitched in irritation. After all this was over, he was going to _kill_ Natsu Dragneel.

Before Gray could come up with a response, Natsu sat up, face eerily stony and serious, but the glint of mischief in his eyes made Gray glance at him warily. “Well, you see, Squirt, when two people love each other very much-”

“NO!” Gray practically flew across the room, slapping his hand over Natsu’s face and icing his mouth shut. He turned to Akira, lips twisted into a strained smile, spouting off the first thing that came to mind. “No, no, you were right, ‘Kira, I ate the baby. But only because I had to protect them until they were all grown up and ready to come into the world. It’s, uh...what everyone does...”

Akira ‘ohhhh’ed in fascination, eyes wide with wonder, “What did they taste like?”

Gray could almost feel Natsu laughing again, and he sighed, crouching down at Akira’s eye level. “I know you have questions, love, but Papa’s tired right now. I’ll answer them later, ok?”

Akira nodded, tilting her head in thought before running forward and launching herself into Gray’s arms. She looked down at his stomach, hesitantly reaching out and placing her hand against the sensitive skin.

Gray made a sad sound as her amber eyes welled up with tears, heart twisting in despair. He could practically feel the peace and contentment crumbling down around him. “Hey, sweetheart, you know this won’t change much, right? Papa and Daddy will be a lot busier, but it doesn’t mean we love you any less. We love you so mu-”

“It’s not that,” Akira whispered, hand tracing soft circles on Gray’s stomach. Almost reverently. She looked up at him, biting her lip anxiously, “Will I...Will I be a good sister?”

“No,” Gray tensed as Natsu answered, strong arms coming around him and pulling him onto the dragonslayer’s lap, their daughter nestled between his legs. “You’re gonna be the _best_ big sister Fiore’s ever seen. Everyone’s going to be _so_ jealous.”

Gray relaxed as the ravenette brightened, leaning back against Natsu’s broad chest. He elbowed him in the gut, smirking in satisfaction at the breathless _oof_ he got in return. “Serves you right, Flame Brain.”

Akira giggled, pressing her face against Gray’s shoulder and sighing as Natsu carded his fingers through her hair. The ice mage smiled, curling around her protectively as his eyes fluttered shut.

He felt so warm. Akira was tucked against his stomach, wriggling excitedly in his grasp, raven hair tickling his chin as she shifted in his lap. Natsu was all around him, strong arms encircling his waist, murmuring sweet nothings to their daughter as she blinked up at him adoringly. Gray felt more safe and loved then he thought possible, everything he had ever wanted pressed close to his body.

He didn’t need anything more than this. Just the three of them, together. He was sure of it.

That is, until he felt that little flash of magic again, felt that tiny pulsing energy thrum against the inside of his stomach, a steady rhythm that beat in tune with his own heart. 

And he knew he had been lying to himself.

_“I love you…”_

He wasn’t sure who he was saying it to. Whether it was Natsu, or Akira, or the creature sheltered inside of him. Maybe it was all of the above. 

What he did know was that their family would never be the same. Would change and grow and expand, would be filled with love and with pain, happiness and sorrow. 

But the words would never change. No matter what happened.

He would never love these people any less.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3


	2. Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He reached out with trembling fingers and ran his hands through Natsu’s hair, rubbing the soft locks between his thumb and forefinger. A soft sigh escaped him when Natsu leaned forward and placed one last kiss on his belly, his skin tingling where Natsu’s lips had touched.
> 
> The dragon slayer looked up, green eyes red rimmed and watery.
> 
> Gray offered a shaky smile, pressing Natsu’s face against his stomach again, hoping he could feel what Gray felt. That faint fluttering against his belly, the evidence that their baby was listening. That they were alive.
> 
> “I can feel them,” Natsu murmured, fingers digging tightly into Gray’s hips, like the soft pulse would stop if he let go even for a moment, “Gray, I can feel them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel so soft after writing this just cdkcadfhdkfsjkf THEY'RE SO PRECIOUS <333
> 
> Once again this is MPREG, so if that bothers you, this is your warning!
> 
> Thanks for reading this lovelies, and as always drop a comment and tell me your favorite line or something! (hugs) <3

_Day 2: Voice_

Gray woke up to lazy summer sunlight and warm hands on his belly. **  
**

He blinked groggily, too comfortable to get up, body loose and heavy with the lingering mist of sleep. His shirt was pushed up, exposing the swell of his stomach, light touches grazing against his skin as a gentle murmuring floated through the air.

He felt fuzzy, like his head was full of cotton, the bright beams of sunshine filtering in and making his skin uncomfortably warm. But he made no effort to move, pausing for a moment to watch the little dust particles bob up and down in a river of light before the heat became too much.

He opened his mouth to ask Natsu to go close the window, glancing over his shoulder and raising a brow in confusion when all he saw was a tangled nest of blankets.

_Where the hell did he-_

Gray gasped softly when lips were pressed against his stomach, slowly looking down to see a head of wild, ruffled pink hair nuzzling his baby bump.

“Natsu…?”

The dragonslayer didn’t answer. His fingers glided over Gray’s belly, tracing soft patterns against pale skin. Circles, stars, random swirls that started at the top of the bump and weaved their way down to his navel before repeating the pattern, over and over again.

Gray’s eyes drooped, lulled into a half-asleep-half-awake daze, focusing entirely on the way Natsu’s fingertips drew intricate designs on his skin.

A faint _mmph_ escaped him when Natsu ducked down, peppering light butterfly kisses all over his stomach, lips gentle and impossibly soft, leaving a trail of tingling warmth everywhere they went.

Gray was so caught up in the sensation that it took a second for him to register Natsu’s voice.

It was rich and smooth, startlingly different from his normally loud, boisterous tone. Mumbled in his rough, low morning voice, but there was something light about his words. Something that made the baby stir inside him while a pretty pink colored Gray’s cheeks.

If he could, he would freeze time, stay in this moment forever, just so he could keep listening to that voice.

He knew that if he made any movement, Natsu would stop. Would blink up at him with a slightly embarrassed flush in his cheeks and flash his familiar goofy grin. The moment would shatter, and god damn it, he didn’t want it to end. And if the sharp jab of discomfort poking at his stomach was anything to go by, the baby didn’t want it to end either.

Gray inhaled as discreetly as possible, straining his ears, lying perfectly still so he could catch the sweet words whispered against his skin.

“Hey there, Pipsqueak...”

Gray’s lips twitched, curling up into a slight smile. Natsu and his silly nicknames never failed to make his heart flutter.

“...this is your Daddy speaking. I can’t wait to meet you, you know? ‘Kira can’t either, that’s your big sister. Snowflake gave her one hell of a scare when he said you were in his tummy. You shoulda seen her face...it was goddamn _priceless_ …”

Gray scrunched his eyebrows, fighting the urge to scold him for cursing in front of their baby. But he didn’t want to interrupt, too caught up in the low rumble of Natsu’s voice and the way his lips brushed against his belly with every word.

“...everyone at the guild can’t wait to meet you either. Auntie Lucy’s been goin’ insane buying things for you, diapers, clothes, blankets, baby bottles. I didn’t even know you _needed_ half this stuff. And she wonders why she’s always broke…”

Natsu giggled softly, warm puffs of air ghosting over Gray’s skin with every laugh. Gray kept his eyes firmly shut, even though all he wanted was to drag Natsu up and kiss him breathless. Love pumped through his veins rather than blood, rich and sluggish like honey, sending a rush of warmth through his body.

“...Wendy’s gonna help deliver you. It’ll be her first time, but it’s gonna be ok, Pipsqueak. There’s no one me or Papa trusts more than her. And _gods_ , Happy’s been catching fish like crazy. He says if you don’t like salmon he’s disowning you, but don’t worry, he’s only teasing...I think. And don’t get me _started_ on Auntie Erza. She’s been going on and on about how you better not be like me an’ Papa or she’ll ‘beat your tiny little ass.’ Her words, not mine…”

Gray winced slightly in sympathy as Natsu shuddered. Erza was...really something. But Gray knew full well her threats were empty, fierce words born out of fierce love for someone she hadn’t even met yet. Tears pressed against the backs of Gray’s eyelids as overwhelming gratitude flooded through him. What the hell would he do without her?

“...I...I love you, Pipsqueak. I know you’re probably not going to be perfect. Hell, with me an’ Gray as your fathers, there’s no way you’ll be perfect, but…” Natsu’s voice cracked and it hit something deep within Gray. Something that ached when Natsu let out a strangled laugh, something that twisted when he felt wetness against his stomach, something that pulsed with love and longing and pure want when Natsu pressed sloppy, teary kisses against his belly.

“...but you’re _ours_ , god damn it. You’re _our_ little miracle. _Our_ baby. And I don’t give a shit if you destroy things, or go overboard a bunch of times, or strip in front of a hundred people. The world can think whatever it wants to think, but you’ll _always_ be perfect to me…”

Gray’s tears were flowing freely now, hot and salty against his chilly skin, worming their way down his face and melting into his pillow.

He was lost. Speechless against Natsu’s raw, unfiltered words and the way his voice shook, but grew stronger with every syllable. Like love was his only faith, and he prayed for it every day.

“I love you, baby…” These words were faint, mumbled out so softly Gray could barely hear them, “I love you so, so much…”

Gray couldn’t hold himself back anymore. He reached out with trembling fingers and ran his hands through Natsu’s hair, rubbing the soft locks between his thumb and forefinger. A soft sigh escaped him when Natsu leaned forward and placed one last kiss on his belly, his skin tingling where Natsu’s lips had touched.

The dragon slayer looked up, green eyes red rimmed and watery.

Gray offered a shaky smile, pressing Natsu’s face against his stomach again, hoping he could feel what Gray felt. That faint fluttering against his belly, the evidence that their baby was listening. That they were alive.

“I can feel them,” Natsu murmured, fingers digging tightly into Gray’s hips, like the soft pulse would stop if he let go even for a moment, “Gray, I can _feel_ them.”

“You’re such a...big softie...Flame-brain,” Gray hiccuped, wiping his face on his already tear stained pillow, “Who knew…?”

Natsu laughed, propping his chin up on Gray’s stomach and looking up at him with wide, soft eyes. He didn’t say anything, just looked. Like he was seeing Gray for the first time and wanted to commit every detail to memory.

“I love them. Is that weird?” Gray whispered, thumb brushing over Natsu’s cheekbone, “I don’t even know them, but I love them.”

“No,” Natsu kept looking at him, eyes glittering like stars, “I love them too.”

“I know,” Gray giggled hoarsely, voice still choked with tears, “I heard you.”

He felt a glimmer of satisfaction in the way Natsu’s eyes widened, cheeks flushing pink as he averted his gaze. “Wait, you were listening? I didn’t...I mean…” He broke off, staring at Gray’s stomach like he expected the baby to pop out at any second.

“It was sweet,” Gray carded his fingers through Natsu’s hair again, smiling when the dragonslayer closed his eyes and pushed into his palm, a soothing purr rumbling in his chest, “Didn’t know you had it in you, Pyro.”

“I can be sweet!” Natsu protested, opening one eye in a half-hearted glare, “I just pick and choose when and when not to be!”

“Mm,” Gray agreed mockingly, lips quirking up in a sly grin, “I’m sure that’s the case.”

Natsu pouted and buried his face into Gray’s stomach, pecking his skin lightly and muttering something about stuck up ice princesses. Gray groaned as the baby shifted, feeling like his insides were being pushed around.

He wriggled out of Natsu’s arms and sat up, shoving the dragonslayer away. “Stop that, Flame-brain, they were nice and quiet before you woke ‘em up.”

Natsu smirked, stealing a quick kiss from Gray before getting up from the bed. “Good job, Pipsqueak. Not even born yet and already annoying the hell out of your Papa. I’m so proud!”

Gray grumbled, flopping back down onto the bed and attempting to drown himself in the blankets.

“Nope, get off your sorry ass, Popsicle,” Natsu chided, pulling Gray up and wrapping his arms around the ice mage’s waist when he fell forward, “We’re going to the guild.”

“Whyyyyyyyy?” Gray whined, nuzzling into Natsu’s chest.

“We have to introduce the baby to their family,” the dragonslayer chirped, entirely too cheerful.

“I don’t want to. They're _loud_. They’ll upset the baby.”

Gray stumbled slightly as Natsu dropped to his knees, pressing his cheek against Gray’s belly. “We’ll ask them, then. Hey, Pipsqueak, kick twice if you wanna go to the guild and meet your family.”

Gray crossed his arms in triumph when there was no response. “See told y-”

He cut himself off when there were two, light taps against his stomach.

_God damn it._

Natsu grinned, placing a kiss where he felt the kicks, “Good baby.”

“Speak for yourself,” Gray muttered, rubbing his eyes as Natsu got to his feet, “I feel betrayed.”

His husband simply pecked his lips, opening the door and calling out for Akira, disappearing into the hallway when there was a faint response and the pattering of feet against the floor.

Gray yawned, stretching and grunting in satisfaction when his joints popped. He ran a quick hand through his hair, wrapping his arms around his stomach to soothe the pangs of discomfort as the baby moved.

They had never been so restless before and Gray was absolutely sure it was all Natsu’s fault. The kid couldn’t help but be excited when their Daddy was around, almost as if they could sense his presence. And Gray understood. He and the baby were already connected, but Natsu? As far as the baby was concerned he was something strange and new, yet achingly familiar. Something they could only communicate with when Natsu pressed kisses to Gray’s skin, or when he buried his face into Gray’s stomach, or when he whispered sweet nothings to them in those rare, quiet moments. Letting them hear his voice. Letting them know he was there. Letting them know he loved them.

When they got to the guild, Gray knew all the voices and the sounds would give him a splitting headache. Most of the other male dragonslayers would keep their distance, but the Exceeds would mob him, bewilderingly fascinated with his stomach. He would find a quiet corner of the guildhall, and hide from curious eyes. Rogue would take shelter there too, since he and Sting were visiting for a couple months and he was farther along on his pregnancy then Gray was. Rogue’s voice was soothing unlike the majority of Fairy Tail’s guild members. They’d probably talk and hide together, wincing at the loud voices and watching as the rest of the guild beat each other’s brains out in their usual brawls.

But Gray knew their little alcove of peace wouldn’t last. Because as soon as Natsu’s voice boomed throughout the guildhall, the baby would start to move again. There would be a tugging in his gut, an insistent pounding against his stomach.

 _There. Go there,_ they would say.

And Gray would understand. Because it was something he and the baby agreed on.

Out of all the voices, Natsu’s was their favorite.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3


	3. To the Stars and Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Natsu and he had never gotten into a fight during his pregnancy before. He didn’t know how badly he had messed up, or if this was something he could easily fix. He was walking on the edge of a precipice, and at any moment, the ground could crumble underneath him and he’d go hurtling into darkness.
> 
> Gray wrapped his arms around his stomach, taking comfort from the encouraging little taps against his belly. They were more frequent now, insistent, like the baby was using all of their limbs. Gray bit his lip, he could feel the longing in each kick, sending a shudder through his body.
> 
> There...go there, they were saying.
> 
> Not yet, baby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it wrong that I'm really, really proud of this? Lol I have no clue
> 
> Also, we have our first lovers' spat dun dun dunnnnnn (lol we all know there's a happy ending, I can't make it sad) 
> 
> Annnnnnd we have Rogue and Gray being bros cuz I love them together <333
> 
> Quick note: if it seems like Gray's overreacting/overemotional, I was trying to go for hormone induced rage/despair, lol sorry if it makes no sense
> 
> WARNING: MPREG!!

_Day 3: Flying_

“No.”

“Aw, c’mon Snowflake!”

“No!”

“Please?”

_“No!”_

“But Gray-”

_“I said NO!”_

Gray huffed, slamming his hands against the bar’s countertop and turning back to his milkshake. He knew he was being overemotional, anger heating up his skin like a fire had been lit inside of him. Sharpening his words and coating them in venom.

“Are you _insane?!_ What if I give birth while I’m up there?! Do you even _care_ about how it could affect the baby?!”Gray winced internally, the words pouring out as if by their own volition. He attempted to push down the dark wave of frustration and paranoia welling up inside him, but his day had been so terrible that he couldn’t find it within himself to try very hard. The combination of morning sickness, cramps and aching joints had stretched his patience to the absolute limit, his body throbbing with exhaustion. He just wanted to go home and sleep until his due date came.

But here was Natsu, with his annoyingly cheerful smile and his bright eyes and the energetic skip to his step, fully aware of what Gray was going through. And he had the _audacity_ to ask Gray to go on a hot air balloon ride with him nearly 3,000 feet in the air? There were so many things that could go wrong that it made Gray’s head spin just thinking about it.

Natsu stiffened beside him, the guild going eerily quiet. Gray could feel everyone’s eyes on him, hot prickles stabbing his skin as they stared, the silence weighing heavily on his shoulders. He glared stubbornly at his milkshake, watching as a drop of condensation slid down the side of the glass agonizingly slowly.

“Fine,” Natsu muttered.

The word was curt, voice monotone. And for some reason that hurt worse than anything Gray had been through. Worse than the nausea rolling through his gut, worse than the cramps twisting up his intestines, worse than the agony shooting through his limbs. It caused him physical pain, his chest tightening, throat clenching, the pressure of withholding tears building up in his skull as Natsu stalked away without another word.

_Goddamn mood swings..._

Quiet conversations started up again, filling the silence with the hushed murmuring of voices. Gray wasn’t stupid. He knew the majority of them were probably talking about him and Natsu, but at this point, he couldn’t care less. Let them talk. There was nothing wrong with a little lovers’ spat, and Natsu knew he didn’t really mean it…

...right?

Gray flinched as the baby kicked sharply against his stomach, bringing up his hand to press against his belly in a half-hearted apology.

“I know, baby, I know,” Gray crooned softly, rubbing his stomach to calm the frantic pounding, “That wasn’t nice of me. I didn’t mean it, honest. It’s just…”

Gray took a deep breath, the rage draining out of him as fast as it had appeared. He looked forlornly at the milkshake, his appetite fading as nausea spiked through him, the back of his throat burning as bile rose up. He pushed the drink away, sighing in frustration as he massaged his temple.

“I’m sorry…”

Gray bit his lip as the baby stopped moving, the familiar presence he was getting accustomed to fading somewhat.

Great. His kid wasn’t even born yet and they were already giving him the silent treatment.

“Wow, you really messed up.”

Gray tensed, mouth instinctively opening to throw back a stinging retort. His head whirled around, the words dying on his tongue when he saw Rogue ambling towards him, awkwardly sitting down on a barstool with his arms wrapped around his stomach.

“It wasn’t my fault!” Gray snapped indignantly, his hot temper rearing its head, “My idiot flame-brain of a husband wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride! I can barely keep myself from throwing up on flat land, how am I supposed to deal with it 3,000 feet in the air?!”

Rogue simply stared back, patiently waiting for Gray’s rant to end.

“I could...I could go into _labor_ up there! And then what? Is he gonna deliver his own baby?!” Gray waved his arms around frantically, hormones pumping through his veins, elevating his distress.

“Gray...you’re only five months along, you’re not going to go into labor any time soon,” Rogue replied calmly, reaching out to place a comforting hand on the ice mage’s shoulder.

Gray wanted to yell at him. To scream and shout and tear the other man to pieces. That serene look on his face made Gray want to smack him. How could he be so goddamn calm about all of this?

Rogue ran a hand through Gray’s raven hair, the ice mage letting out a shaky breath and leaning into the touch as his anger evaporated. The dragonslayer’s eyes glimmered with warm understanding, the softness in his normally hard ruby eyes soothing Gray’s frustration.

“So...what? He just wanted to do something fun?”

Gray rolled his eyes, propping his elbows up on the table and settling his head in his palms. “I guess so. He was talking about how he wanted to ‘go flying’ and ‘bond with the kid’ and ‘show them the world’ or some shit.”

Rogue stiffened, his hand stopping its gentle movement, fingers clutching Gray’s hair tightly.

Gray winced, shoving Rogue’s hand away, “Hey, what’s your prob-”

“He asked you to fly with him…?” Rogue murmured, crimson eyes wide with horror, “And you _refused?!”_

Gray wrinkled his nose in confusion, “Yeah…”

Rogue whacked him upside the head, cutting off the ice mage’s protest with a stern glare, “Idiot!”

Gray stared slack-jawed. Rogue very rarely lost his cool. He could count the number of times the shadow mage got that steely glint of anger in his eyes on one hand. Dread settled over Gray’s shoulders. If _Rogue_ was yelling at him…

...he knew he must have really messed up.

“That’s a crucial dragon mating ritual! Aren’t you married? How could you just shoot him down like that?!”

Gray’s head throbbed, the world spinning in slow circles as he tried to comprehend Rogue’s scathing words. Dragon mating ritual?

_What the hell is he talking about?_

“I don’t...mating ritual…?” Gray blinked up at his friend, completely at a loss. He racked his brain for any memory of Natsu mentioning dragon mating rituals while he was pregnant, but came up short.

Rogue sighed, rubbing his belly agitatedly. “When a dragon’s mate is pregnant, one of the milestones they go through is ‘flying with them’ or your case, the hot air balloon ride.”

Gray tilted his head curiously, “But why?”

“It’s like…” Rogue paused, searching for the right words, “It’s hard to explain. It’s kind of like introducing the child to the world they’re going to grow up in. You’ve probably noticed that a dragonslayer’s child is more... _aware_ than a regular human child. More active. They can vaguely sense what’s going on around them. They can identify certain people, like the parents or close friends...”

Gray nodded, looking down at his baby bump.

_Damn kid, you really are something._

His heart swelled when he got an answering tap against his stomach.

“...like that, a dragonslayer’s unborn child can also sense landscapes and magic. Can ‘see’ the world they’re going to enter even before they’re born.” Rogue’s eyes softened, lips curling into a soft smile. “It’s an important experience. Something to be cherished. Sting and I already did it a few weeks ago.”

Gray furrowed his brows in concern, uneasiness tugging at his gut. “I see…”

He furiously blinked, tears suddenly pricking at his eyes, cursing his hormones for throwing his emotions out of whack. Rogue nudged him, squeezing his hand gently before giving him a slight smile.

“Go to him, he’ll understand.”

Gray nodded curtly, standing up with a determined gleam in his eyes. He had vowed to himself, from the very beginning, that he wasn’t going to mess this up. He was going to bring their child into a loving, stable family, even if it meant that he had to swallow his pride and apologize to the damn Pyro.

But it was more than that. He had promised _their baby_ that he wouldn’t mess this up. They would be a family that their kid could be proud of, something they could fight for, something they could depend on.

And when it came to their baby, it didn’t matter if the whole world was against him.

He’d be damned before he broke that promise.

✦ ✦ ✦

Gray found him in the middle of a meadow, dandelions swaying lazily in the breeze, the last rays of the sun clawing at a rapidly darkening sky.

His head was tilted back towards the heavens, eyes locked on the few scattered stars blinking into existence, pinpricks of light poking through the rich lavender fabric of the sky.

Gray knew Natsu must have smelled him, nothing escaped a dragon’s nose. But he didn’t turn around and Gray tried to pretend that it didn’t leave a sinking feeling in his heart.

He felt exposed, which was ironic considering his stripping habit. But standing there, in silence, with nothing but the faint whistling of the wind and the soft brush of the meadow grass against his ankles, Gray felt startlingly alone.

Natsu and he had never gotten into a fight during his pregnancy before. He didn’t know how badly he had messed up, or if this was something he could easily fix. He was walking on the edge of a precipice, and at any moment, the ground could crumble underneath him and he’d go hurtling into darkness.

Gray wrapped his arms around his stomach, taking comfort from the encouraging little taps against his belly. They were more frequent now, insistent, like the baby was using all of their limbs. Gray bit his lip, he could feel the longing in each kick, sending a shudder through his body.

 _There...go there,_ they were saying.

_Not yet, baby._

It took a few tries before Gray was able to form the words. His usually confident voice failing him when he needed it most.

“N-Natsu…?”

Natsu made no clear indication that he was listening, but Gray could have sworn that his ears pricked, just slightly.

Gray shifted, shivering as the wind picked up, the warm summer breeze sharpening into a crisp night gust. He watched for a moment as a few dandelion spores floated away, catching the wind and spinning carelessly through the air.

“Natsu, I-”

“Come to yell at me some more?”

Gray gaped, staring at Natsu’s back as the sun sank below the horizon, shadows lengthening. The stars were suddenly too bright, so far away, yet they glared down at him with the fierce glow of fluorescent lights.

“No I…” Gray gulped, licking his chapped lips, trying to spit out words as his arms tightened around himself.

“I know we argue a lot, but you’ve never looked at me like that before. Like you... _hated_ me. Like I was going to hurt you or the baby.” There wasn’t an ounce of rage in his voice. He just sounded tired, voice alarmingly flat.

Gray had never wanted Natsu to be angry at him more than in that moment.

“Natsu, I’m…” Gray trailed off, laughing bitterly as the world blurred with tears. It was all too much. Thousands of scenarios flashed through Gray’s mind. He knew he was being irrational, he knew he wasn’t thinking straight. But it all felt so real that he couldn’t distinguish between reality and the hyper sensitivity pregnancy had gifted him.

“I’m sorry, Natsu.”

He was cold. So cold. Summer nights were supposed to be warm, but it was like the universe could sense the tension. Purposefully altering the weather to match the frigidity between them. Damn it, he was an ice mage! He wasn’t supposed to get cold! But there was something about this, something about the emotions swirling inside him and the miracle growing in his belly, that made him raw. Naked in a way he had never been before.

“I’m sorry I yelled. I didn’t mean to get so angry. If I’d known how important this was to you, I swear I would never have…” Gray paused, searching for an explanation that didn’t sound like an excuse.

“I-I’m so sorry...I...I love you…” He had never felt so small. Or maybe it was because the world was suddenly so huge. The sky seemed endless, broad and expansive, bearing down on him with the weight of the heavens. He was outside, but he felt claustrophobic.

“P-Please...please don’t leave me…”

Gray had barely taken a breath before Natsu was suddenly in front of him. Face so close that his green eyes suddenly took up the entire world.

Gray vaguely registered a warm fingers caressing his cheek, a firm hand resting on his stomach, the baby shifting inside of him as they sensed Natsu’s closeness.

A little thrill of happiness shot through him, and he knew that what he was feeling wasn’t just his own emotions. But the baby’s too.

“Idiot,” Natsu whispered, pressing a soft kiss to Gray’s lips. He tasted the slight tang of salt, mixing with the smoky cinnamon spice that was purely Natsu, and damn it tasted _good_. “You really think I’d leave your sorry ass after everything we’ve been through?”

When Gray pulled away, his eyes widened in shock to see tears pricking at the edges of Natsu’s eyes, shimmering in the last fading rays of the sun like liquid gold.

“You’re crying…” Natsu cupped his face, eyes suddenly dark with concern as he brushed a wayward tear off of Gray’s cheek.

Gray pouted, leaning into Natsu’s touch, “I’m pregnant, what’s your excuse?”

“Well-”

“Don’t answer that.”

Natsu chuckled, nudging Gray playfully. The ice mage let out a breath of relief, the stars searing glow fading, the sky softening into a gentle blanket that draped over Gray’s whole world.

“So, does this mean…?” Natsu looked at him hopefully, hand fiddling with the ends of his scarf.

“Lucy and Juvia are babysitting Akira,” Gray hummed thoughtfully, smiling at the dragonslayer, voice lowering into a faint whisper, “Right now, I’m all yours.”

“Please,” Natsu scoffed, pulling Gray in for another kiss, “You’re always mine.”

✦ ✦ ✦

“And that’s Crocus! Oh and if you look near the center you can see the King’s Castle, but it’s dark now so it’s a little hard to make it out. But it’s basically this huge…”

Gray laughed, leaning back against the side of the cozy little balloon basket. After getting a Troia spell from Wendy, Natsu was ecstatic. Bouncing around, hanging off the edge of the basket and pointing to familiar landmarks like an excited little kid, hands gesturing animatedly as he described their world to the baby. Gray mostly watched, piping up every now and then to fill in some extra details that Natsu missed, or comment when the baby tapped against his stomach, signifying that they liked that specific place.

“Oh, they like the castle,” Gray interrupted, wincing as there was another strong kick, “They _really_ like the castle.”

“Ok so that makes the guildhall, Magnolia, the ocean, the castle…” Natsu muttered, listing all the places their baby wanted to visit.

Gray yawned, exhaustion tugging at his limbs. It had been quite a long day, but he was proud that he only threw up once, over Clover Town. But that was ok, no one liked Clover Town anyway.

“Guessing we should head back now?” Natsu suggested, wrapping his arms around Gray and shaking him slightly to keep him awake.

“Oh wow, what made you come to that brilliant conclusion,” Gray rolled his eyes, “Maybe it was the fact that it’s nearly _3 in the morning?”_

Natsu huffed, “Well when you put it that way it seems irresponsible.”

Gray didn’t answer, gasping as his hand brushed against something cold and wet. He turned around, eyes wide when he saw a smudge of grey gently float passed them.

“It’s just a cloud, Ice Princess. What, are you scare-hey what’re you doing?!”

Natsu grabbed ahold of Gray’s waist just as the raven haired man lunged out, fingers plunging into the icy grey fluff. He drew his hand back, leaning into Natsu’s arms as he looked down proudly at the shining chunk of ice in his palm. Natsu raised a brow in confusion.

“Souvenir for Akira,” Gray replied, turning the shard over and over again in his hands, “She always said she wanted to touch the clouds.”

Gray closed his eyes in bliss as Natsu laughed, the sound reverberating through his chest. He must have dozed off for a moment, lulled by Natsu’s warmth and the soft strokes of heated fingers against his stomach, because the next thing he knew their balloon was once again hovering over Magnolia. Bright moonlight traced the roofs of the cottages, lighting up the deserted streets. The taverns and bars were closed, the usual around-the-clock merriment missing, the windows dark. 

For a moment, the town looked picturesque, undisturbed by the forces of the world, peaceful and safe. But when he looked closer, he could make out the permanent singe marks etched into the sidewalk, could see the cracks winding around some of the buildings and the crumbling chimneys blown away by magic power. Evidence that this town wasn’t safe. Wasn’t immune to the carnage of war and the fiery red fingers of destruction.

But it was still standing.

Despite it all, Magnolia, _their_ town, and Fairy Tail, _their_ guild, still stood proud and strong against the evils of the world.

Gray couldn’t imagine raising his children in a more perfect place.

“I love you...” Natsu mumbled, breaking the silence, voice low and smooth, warm breath puffing in Gray’s ear. “...to the stars and back.”

“Well…” Gray turned around, tilting his head in thought, unable to resist the temptation to one-up his husband, “I love you to the stars and _beyond_. So _ha!”_

“I would say that,” Natsu purred, pressing into Gray, pinning him between the side of the basket and his own rock solid body, “But I don’t want to go beyond. There’s nothing for me out there. No matter how far I go, I’d always want to come back to you.”

Gray’s breath hitched, face flushing a bright crimson that he was thankful Natsu couldn’t see in the darkness. But the moonlight was strong enough to illuminate Natsu’s eyes, a blazing green tinted with silver starlight, glimmering like the dancing lights Gray used to watch for hours upon hours back in Isvan.

It was one of the things he missed most about his old home. Looking up at the night sky, the moon his only companion, and watching as pretty colors streaked across the rich dark blue, like a celestial artist was painting on their favorite canvas. Like glowing fairies were dancing on a wide, expansive stage.

Natsu smirked at his silence, teeth gleaming even in the dark, “I win.”

And for once, Gray didn’t protest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3


	4. Say Hello to the Ocean

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He paused for a moment, chin resting on Gray’s shoulder. They both watched as Akira played close by, laughing as she rode the swell of the waves back to the sand before paddling out again.
> 
> “Well, it’s the most beautiful blue like your papa’s eyes,” Natsu whispered, lips pressed against Gray’s skin, “It’s big and deep like your Papa’s heart…” Gray’s breath hitched as Natsu smirked against the back of his neck, “And it’s wet like when your Papa-”
> 
> “I swear to God, Natsu, if you make an innuendo in front of our child, I will not hesitate to drown you,” Gray growled, shoving the dragonslayer away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big shout out to Shining Star for being so, so supportive and sweet! I don't know about "masterpieces" but gah the fact that you called my work that just...(hugs super tight)!! I am planning on writing more gratsu (can't get rid of me that easy lol), so expect a lot more from me! All your encouragement means the world to me, thx so much <333
> 
> WARNING: MPREG

_Day 4: Water_

_Gods help me._

Lucy clenched her fists, glancing sideways as Gray and Natsu’s bickering grew louder.

The ice mage scowled at his husband over the rim of his cup, blue eyes blazing with hellfire, “Give it to me.”

Natsu leaned forward, lips pulled back into a snarl, “No.”

“I’ll divorce you if you don’t.”

“Please, like that’ll ever happen! I bat my eyes once and you practically melt.”

Lucy flinched as Gray pounded a fist onto the tabletop, grumbling under her breath, hands covering her ears as she tried to focus on her book.

“Look, Dragon-Freak, I’m the one who’s pregnant here. I’m the one growing a literal _being_ inside me. I’m the one _making_ our goddamn child-”

“I helped!”

Gray scoffed, rolling his eyes, arms folded petulantly, “Yeah, it really _helped_ when you stuck your-”

“For gods’ sake just get a room!” Lucy slammed her book closed, brow twitching in irritation, shooting Gray and Natsu a glare that could have melted solid iron. A slight stab of guilt prickled her skin when their eyes widened, but it was quickly overshadowed by the irritation pounding away at her skull.

_Gods, Juvia, why did you leave me here with these two?_

Gray slumped in his seat, shifting awkwardly to accommodate the sizable swell of his stomach. “But, he won’t give me the hot sauce…”

“You’re not pouring _hot sauce_ in a _milkshake_ , Stripper!”

“You don’t understand!” Gray rubbed his belly, biting his lip as he whimpered, “This kid wants _both!_ It’s like they’re fighting someone in there, they can’t decide!”

Lucy blinked in concern, rage evaporating as she gently placed her hand on his belly, “Maybe you should go to the doctor, see what’s going on. There might be a problem.” She smiled softly as she felt a little kick against her hand, her fingertips tingling slightly. The baby’s way of saying hello.

Before she could blink, Gray was wrenched away from her. Natsu leaned over him, anxiously sniffing and inspecting Gray’s stomach, hot sauce long forgotten. He pressed his face against the ice mage’s belly, ignoring Gray’s protests as he flushed a bright pink. The raven haired man’s gaze darted around the guild before settling on his husband. Natsu’s green eyes were narrowed, staring intently at Gray’s baby bump like he was doing his own ultrasound.

“I’m getting a weird vibe,” Natsu muttered, nuzzling into Gray’s stomach, “I’m not sure what it is. I think we should schedule a check-up with Porlyusica.”

Gray nodded absentmindedly, eyes drifting to the abandoned bottle of hot sauce. He swiftly pulled Natsu into a tight hug, the dragonslayer letting out a muffled protest against his belly. Gray reached over him and grabbed the bottle, triumphantly pouring half of it into his glass.

“I win.” Gray smirked, releasing Natsu and sipping his milkshake, eyes closed as he groaned, “Gods, that hits the spot.”

Natsu wrinkled his nose in distaste, pouting as Gray hummed in satisfaction.

Lucy ran a tired hand through her hair, sighing as she laid her head on the table. Seeing those two together made her heart twist, reminding her of the loneliness nipping at her heels. Juvia had been on a mission for so long, it was making her antsy. A thousand possibilities flashed through her mind, each one worse than the last.

_God damn it, if anything happened to her…_

“Stop trying to steal my milkshake!”

“I wouldn’t have to if you would just share!”

“Weren’t you the one who said it’s disgusting?!”

_I’m gonna kill them. I’m really gonna kill them._

Lucy lifted her head slightly, glowering as Natsu grabbed at the milkshake in Gray’s hands, green eyes burning with a mixture of mischief and determination.

Just when Lucy thought she was going to take the nearest mug and whack _herself_ to stop her suffering, there was a sweet little voice, cutting through the couple's argument like a clock tower bell chiming during rush hour.

“Daddy, can we go to the lake?”

Natsu abruptly stopped, hand wrapped firmly around Gray’s wrist, the other reaching for the milkshake. He blinked, not seeming to notice as Gray pulled away to finish his drink.

“What’s that, Sunshine?”

“The lake! The one Auntie Juvia told me about! The big salty one that has doll-fins!” The little girl sounded out that last word, eyebrows scrunching as she tried to pronounce it right.

Lucy barely heard her, perking up and scanning the guild hopefully when she heard Juvia’s name.

Before she could spot her girlfriend, pale arms were wrapped around her neck, chin resting on top of her head as the newcomer leaned over her seat. Lucy sighed as she reached over her shoulder, fingers tangling in soft blue hair as she breathed in the scent of lavender shampoo.

“That’s right, Akira,” Juvia laughed, voice light and musical, like waves gently lapping at the shore, “It’s called the _ocean_.”

“O...O-shun!” Akira chirped, eyes sparkling with pride.

Natsu beamed, scooping her up into his lap as Gray tapped his chin thoughtfully, “Hmmm, it's not a bad idea, the baby’s been getting restless and I’m bored being stuck here in the guild...”

“You should go!” Lucy blurted out, smiling awkwardly as the two men flinched at her outburst, “It’ll be good for Akira! And didn’t...didn't you say the baby wanted to visit the ocean someday...?”

“Hey, you’re right!” Natsu immediately jumped to his feet, slinging Akira over his shoulder and running for the guild doors, “Let’s go!”

Lucy smiled as the six year-old squealed, laughing enthusiastically as her father carried her. Gray was slower, getting to his feet and rolling his eyes, grumbling about idiot flame-brains and energetic little kids.

For some reason the whole scene made Lucy’s heart stutter, her gaze flitting over the trio. Gray’s lips were twisted into an exasperated scowl, but his eyes crinkled with joy, giving away the fondness he felt for his family. Natsu was rearranging Akira on his shoulders, wearing his usual reckless, carefree grin, but Lucy didn’t miss the way he tightened his grip on his daughter’s legs, making sure there was no way she could fall.

And then there was Akira. Lucy remembered when they had first met, how she found those wide golden eyes unsettling, too deep and too intelligent for a three year-old. Gleaming with something strange, something almost powerful and ancient. Lucy had always had the nagging feeling that Akira was looking right through her, taking her apart piece by piece, analyzing the depths of her soul. But now those eyes were soft and open. Sparkling with innocence and youth. Still deep, still strange, but Lucy didn’t feel that cold shiver running down her spine anymore. She felt nothing but warmth looking into that bright amber gaze.

“D’you think you’d ever want kids?” Lucy surprised herself by asking, holding her breath as she waited for Juvia’s answer.

Slender arms tightened their embrace, blue hair tickling the side of Lucy’s face as Juvia tilted her head in thought.

They both stared as the family left the guildhall, watching as Gray and Natsu’s shoulders brushed with every step, watching as Akira giggled as she touched the top of the door frame, watching as the little girl turned her head one last time to wave at them.

“Yeah...I’d like that.”

✦ ✦ ✦

Usually, Gray detested the ocean. He was perfectly fine with the beach. The joyful shouts of people were a nice background to the heat buzzing through the sand. Energy bouncing off the surface of the water and ricocheting against every person until the whole area was filled with beaming faces and laughing eyes. But there was something about the ocean that made him back away, content to listen and watch, but never to touch. He always felt like the waves were stalking him.

Gray wrinkled his nose as a sharp, cool breeze washed over him. The tang of salt was _everywhere_ , making the air heavy and sticky, clinging to his skin no matter how hard he rubbed his arms. It was even in his mouth, tracing his chapped lips with its bitter, sour taste. The sand was more pleasant, rough against his bare feet, yet pliant, his toes sinking smoothly into their pulsing warmth.

Gray closed his eyes, head tilting towards the cloudless blue sky as a playful breeze tousled his hair. The beach was quiet, nothing disturbing the soothing tranquility other than the soft lapping of the waves against the shore, its rhythm beating in tune with Gray’s heart.

The peacefulness was highly unusual. The beach was a place normally packed with people. Not a minute goes by without someone’s voice shouting across the sand, volleyballs bouncing against unsuspecting heads, sunbathers grumbling when their naps were disturbed.

And Gray liked it like that. Liked it when he was surrounded by useless chatter, letting it roll over him in muffled waves, tucking it into the back of his mind. Not listening necessarily, but feeling its presence. It made him feel less alone when he was surrounded by people. More a part of the world like everyone else.

But Natsu had insisted on veering off of the main road, pulling Gray to a secluded corner of the beach where there was nothing but water sprayed rocks and stray tangles of seaweed. Even the waves were tamer than usual. Like they could sense Gray’s condition. Assuring him that they would be gentle, wouldn’t pull any tricks or beat against him too hard.

A shrill squeal cut through the silence, Gray’s ears pricking when he heard the pounding of little footsteps as they stumbled through the sand and the harsh crash of water as something disturbed its steady peace.

Gray opened his eyes, an amused smile pulling at his lips as he caught sight of his daughter splashing through the waves. Drenched black hair already slicked back against her head, golden eyes reflecting the sunshine.

Natsu joined her, hand ruffling his wild pink locks. Gray admired his husband, the light playing over his sun-kissed skin, hard muscles shifting under tanned shoulders as he swung their daughter up towards the sky. When he laughed, Gray’s stomach flip flopped, and his legs moved of their own accord, dragging him towards that sound.

He cringed as his feet slid over slimy, wet sand, letting out a gasp when the first wave rolled over his toes, licking at his calves. Gray sighed as he waded in, enjoying the sharp coolness brushing against his skin. He stopped when he was about waist deep, the waves gently lapping at his stomach. His eyes drooped, lulled by the warmth of the sun on his back and the cold of the ocean all around him. He forgot everything for a moment, it was just him and the water and nothing else.

Gray’s eyes snapped open when he felt a kick. Every time a wave nudged his belly, the baby pushed back, sending an odd shudder of innocent excitement and awe up Gray’s spine. Gray laughed, running his fingers over the surface of the water before splashing his own abdomen. The baby certainly wasn’t one to be forgotten.

“Say hello to the ocean, love,” Gray murmured, “Isn’t it pretty?”

“You know they can’t really see it, right?” Gray’s smile widened when he heard Natsu’s voice over his shoulder, strong arms wrapping around his waist.

“Describe it to them, then.” Gray elbowed Natsu’s abs lightly, “Use what little eloquence you have.”

“Sounds like a challenge,” Natsu rumbled, “Fine then.”

He paused for a moment, chin resting on Gray’s shoulder. They both watched as Akira played close by, laughing as she rode the swell of the waves back to the sand before paddling out again.

“Well, it’s the most beautiful blue like your papa’s eyes,” Natsu whispered, lips pressed against Gray’s skin, “It’s big and deep like your Papa’s heart…” Gray’s breath hitched as Natsu smirked against the back of his neck, “And it’s wet like when your Papa-”

“I swear to God, Natsu, if you make an innuendo in front of our child, I will not _hesitate_ to drown you,” Gray growled, shoving the dragonslayer away.

Natsu pouted, sticking his tongue out playfully, “You’re no fun.”

Gray rolled his eyes, scowling as his husband sauntered away.

_Arrogant flame-brain._

A surge of amusement washed over him, making his toes tingle. Gray blinked. Was the baby _laughing_ at him?

“I can’t believe you’re taking his side,” Gray grumbled, flicking the top of his belly lightly, “He’s the biggest idiot in Fiore, you know.”

Gray glanced over his shoulder, watching as Natsu and Akira sprinted across the sand, tip-toeing to the edge of the shore before darting away from the waves as they rolled in. Natsu had their daughter on his shoulders again, both of them throwing jeers and taunts at the ocean before screaming and running as it chased after them.

_God damn it, but he’s my idiot._

There was a poke against his belly and Gray rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, yeah, _our_ idiot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3


	5. Twins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gray bit back a scream as he looked down.
> 
> His baby bump was gone.
> 
> Just gone.
> 
> Gray took deep breaths, heart pounding frantically, trying not to hyperventilate as he ran a trembling hand over his abdomen. His throat clenched when he felt tight, strong abs under his fingertips, not even a shred of fat to show that he had once been pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol I'm probably annoying you people with all these updates >////<
> 
> But idk I'm just churning these out, and I'm on a roll so I thought, "let's not break the streak now" haha
> 
> Anyway, if you've read this far, and you're not magically done with me and this fic, then ENJOY AND I LOVE YOU <3
> 
> Every comment is appreciated <333
> 
> MPREG!!! You have been warned

_Day 5: Dreams_

Gray didn’t know where he was.

Well, technically he was at the guild hall, but he had no recollection of waking up that morning and walking there. He just opened his eyes and there he was, standing in front of the grand mahogany doors. Gray squinted, looking up at the lopsided Fairy Tail sign hanging above the door. Its big block letters shone proudly, but it was slightly singed, the edges coated with a light frost. 

Gray blinked in confusion. He had seen the sign like that many times, hell, he’d _caused_ the sign to be like that many times.

_What’s going on? I don’t remember fighting Natsu…_

Gray shivered. He felt strangely light, like a weight had been lifted off of him. Energy was buzzing through his limbs, magic sparking at his fingertips. A sensation he hadn’t felt in quite a while. 

Something was wrong. 

He looked around at his immediate surroundings, taking in the bustling streets of Magnolia. Nothing _seemed_ out of place. Villagers were strolling down the streets, trading idle chatter and bits of gossip. Vendors were shouting out over the crowd, showing off everything from rare artifacts to freshly picked fruit. A stray dog padded slowly down the street, pink tongue lolling out of its mouth as it turned the corner.

It was nothing out of the ordinary. But Gray still couldn’t shake the feeling. Everyone’s faces were too happy, smiles too wide, eyes too sparkly. And everything was bathed in the honey-glow of sunlight, a little too bright, a little too warm...

Gray shook his head. The edges of his vision were fuzzy. When he tried to look out of the corner of his eyes all he could see was a blur of light and color, the world smearing into a soft smudge of sunshine.

Gray’s eyes narrowed when he heard laughter, sweet and tinkling like bells. He whirled around, scanning the crowd before focusing on a young couple walking hand in hand. They had that too bright smile on their faces, eyes crinkling with joy as they looked at each other. At their feet, two tiny children played, wide eyes looking at everything, faces round and soft with baby fat, toddling along on chubby legs as they clung to their parents hands.

_Children…_

Gray bit back a scream as he looked down.

His baby bump was gone.

Just _gone_.

Gray took deep breaths, heart pounding frantically, trying not to hyperventilate as he ran a trembling hand over his abdomen. His throat clenched when he felt tight, strong abs under his fingertips, not even a shred of fat to show that he had once been pregnant.

_Oh gods, oh gods, oh gods, oh gods…_

Gray felt tears pooling in his eyes, a wail trying to claw its way out of his throat. He covered his mouth with his hand, biting down hard on his fingers, not even flinching when he tasted the metallic tang of blood. His body went numb, like his soul had been ripped out and he was watching from afar as his entire world crumbled around him.

He lost their baby. 

He _lost_ their _baby_.

**_He lost their baby._ **

“ _How the hell did I lose our goddamn child?!_ ” Gray whispered, voice cracking.

He quickly composed himself, throat burning, wincing as the feeling came back into his limbs. His vision was still blurry with tears, but he could make out the guild’s door in front of him. A brown blob floating in golden light.

He staggered towards it, panic buzzing through every cell of his being. He needed to find their child. He needed to save them from whatever took them away from him. He needed help.

He needed his family.

Gray pushed open the doors, stumbling into the guild. He didn’t flush like he normally did as every eye turned to look at him, darkened with concern when they saw his expression.

“I l-lost them!” Gray blurted out, clenching his fists to stop his hands from shaking, _“I lost the baby!”_

Confused murmuring swept through the guild, brows raising, eyes widening, glasses dropping as members rose to their feet.

“Gray, what the hell are you talking about?” 

Gray gritted his teeth as Erza stepped forward, dark eyes scanning him for injuries. He barely registered that she looked way different than usual, red hair cut short to just passed her jawline, a pale white scar slashed across her cheekbone, her ever-present blue skirt switched out for a pair of black leggings.

“M-My baby…” Gray stuttered out, clutching at his stomach, “I-I was pregnant and th-then they were j-just _gone_ and I-” Gray cut himself off with a sob. “I don’t kn-know where they went…”

He vaguely heard footsteps as they all crowded around him, comforting touches on his shoulders, voices soft and soothing as he curled in on himself.

He had never realized it before. _How the hell had he not realized it before?_

He felt empty. Completely and utterly empty. Like someone had hollowed him out and left the shell behind to suffer. Like his heart had been ripped to pieces, leaving a gaping, festering hole in his chest. Not even losing his magic had made him feel like this. 

He had never realized how complete he was with the baby until they were gone.

In that moment, he would have given _anything_ , just to feel a kick against his stomach. To feel the baby’s emotions intertwining with his. To feel that little heart beating inside of him. 

_Anything_.

“Hey guys! Anyone miss me?”

Gray’s world came to a screeching halt.

“N-Natsu…?” Gray whispered, pulling away from his guildmates and taking a few steps towards the doors.

And there he was. His hair was much longer, shaggy and unkempt, pink locks tied behind him in a messy ponytail. He was wearing a cloak of some sort, the dark fabric fastened around his shoulders and trailed towards the floor. There was a new scar across his abs, a jagged mark that criss-crossed his torso. His shoulders were broader, his skin more tanned, his muscles more defined. And Gray tried to pretend that it didn’t make his heart stutter, a pink blush definitely _not_ spreading over his cheeks.

He looked...different. 

But when Gray met his gaze, he saw green eyes burning with that same fire, his usual, dazzling grin gracing his lips, carrying himself in that confident, familiar way that only Natsu could pull off.

It was _his_ Natsu.

The dragonslayer blinked at him, smile immediately dropping, brows furrowing in anger when he took in Gray’s red rimmed eyes.

“Gray?” Gray didn’t have time to blink. In three long strides, Natsu was by his side, one arm snaking around his waist, hard and strong as steel. The other cupped his face, tipping his chin up gently. “What happened? Who hurt you?” Gray almost laughed as Natsu’s lips curled into a familiar, protective scowl.

“Um...I...uh…” Gray fumbled for words, flushing an even brighter pink when rough fingers dug into his hips, Natsu’s face unusually calm and patient.

_God damn it, he’s hot._

Gray pinched himself, guilt washing over him. He couldn’t afford to get distracted. Their child was at risk!

“Natsu, our baby-”

“What happened?!” 

Gray’s brow furrowed in confusion. He recognized the voice, but it wasn’t quite how he remembered it. The tone was the same, but the pitch and sharpness of the words was different. There was no way…

Gray’s head turned as someone else hurried into the guild, eyes bugging out of his head when he saw who it was.

_Akira?!_

It was her and it wasn’t her. The girl standing in front of him wasn’t his little, six-year old daughter. She was grown, about fourteen or fifteen. Long raven hair spilled down her shoulders, shining in the light, tied back into a long ponytail like Natsu’s. Her eyes still glittered, but it was more subdued, mature. She carried herself with grace, not like Akira, who tripped over her own feet more times than Gray could count. Her coppery skin seemed to sparkle with health and Gray could almost _see_ the magic flowing through her veins, giving her an ethereal glow. 

His heart squeezed in the way parents’ hearts tend to do when they see their child all grown up.

It was Akira. It was his daughter.

Gray couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, closing his eyes as they slid down his face. She was so beautiful. So strong. Everything he knew she was, and everything he knew she could be.

“‘Kira, why is Papa crying?”

Gray’s heart stopped.

The voice was high and soft with youth, but achingly familiar. It had that same light rasp Natsu used to have when he was younger, and when Gray opened his eyes, it was like looking into a mirror. Like looking back years into the past.

A little boy, no older than nine, was standing beside Akira. His raven hair was ruffled, wild tufts sticking up all over the place. He was wearing Natsu’s scarf, wrapped loosely around his neck, fingers clutching onto it like a safety blanket. His face was Gray’s. The sharp cut of his jaw, the pale color of his skin, the shape of his mouth. 

It was all Gray. Except for one thing.

His eyes were the brightest green Gray had ever seen.

_Kai…_

Gray didn’t know where the name came from, whether someone had whispered it into his ear, or whether it had just popped into his mind. But somehow he knew it was right.   


This was Kai. This was his son.

“Maybe he got _hurt_ , Kai, didya think of that?”

Gray’s head jerked to the side as another little boy appeared. He was the same size as Kai, but that was where the similarities ended. Soft pink locks framed his face, blue eyes glittering with intelligence. Around his neck a silver chain glinted against his sun-kissed skin, the sword pendant sparkling in the light.

_Ira…_

“Of course I thought of that,” Kai snapped, whirling on the other boy, “I was just asking to make sure!” 

Ira rolled his eyes, lips pulled into a smirk that was purely Gray. But with Natsu’s face. 

_What the hell..._

Gray felt like he was going to faint. Or throw up. Maybe both.

“Sure you did,” Ira teased, voice dripping with sarcasm.

And when Kai’s fists lit up with bright blue flames, Gray was almost positive he was going to have a heart attack.

“Hey, Pipsqueaks! Calm down, would you?” Natsu scolded, releasing Gray and walking up to the two boys. Gray’s eyes narrowed as he sensed the air around Ira growing colder, a strange pinkish frost dusting the floor at his feet. Natsu crouched down, settling one hand on each of their heads, voice stern yet warm with affection. “You two wanna-be dragonslayers already got in trouble for fighting yesterday. Don’t wanna make Master angry again, do ya?”

Gray was speechless. Simply staring as the two boys started bickering again, elbowing each other while Natsu watched on in amusement and Akira rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in irritation. She slammed a fist onto each of their heads, hands on her hips, towering over the two as she reprimanded them. 

It was like deja vu. Nostalgia rushed through his veins, the scene unfolding in front of him bringing back so many memories. Of another raven haired boy scuffling with his pink haired friend. Of another intimidating girl reining them in every time they lost themselves. Of another family, not quite like this one, but with the same fierce love and loyalty bonding them together.

“I know just what we need!” Gray snapped out of his daze as Natsu stood up, wide grin splitting his face in half. “We should go on a family mission! And I have one right here…”

The two boys exchanged an excited smile. Gray could see their fingers twitching, eager to release the magic surging through them, to practice what was their birthright, to follow in the footsteps of their fathers.

To learn how to protect their family.

“Wake up, Ice Princess!” Gray’s breath hitched at the nickname, looking up to see Natsu flashing that same, endearing smile. The one he fell in love with all those years ago. “You coming or what?”

Gray paused for a moment. He watched as the guild doors opened, silhouetting his family in bright golden light. His body yearned to step forward, to join them. Heart aching to feel his husband’s lips pressed against his, to see Akira’s eyes looking up at him, to get to know the two little boys who were a perfect mix of him and Natsu.

_Kai and Ira…_

His sons.

Gray’s feet were moving before he even realized it. Urged on by the love in Natsu’s eyes and the happiness in Akira’s smile and the excitement in Kai and Ira’s voices. He was running now, arms swinging, legs pumping, bringing him closer to the little group. 

Bringing him closer to his family… 

✦ ✦ ✦

Gray woke up with a gasp, sitting bolt upright on their bed. Sweat slicked his pale skin, hair tangled into a mass of raven colored locks.

He shook his head as his eyes adjusted to the darkness, hand instinctively coming up to cup the swell of his stomach.

An overwhelming wave of relief washed over him as he traced that familiar bump. His heart clenched so tightly it brought tears to his eyes when there was a light kick against his fingers.

“Gray…? Wha’...What happen’d?” Gray shifted slightly, looking over as Natsu stirred. The dragonslayer rubbed his eyes before blinking up at him sleepily, instantly alert when he noticed the tear tracks shimmering against Gray’s face. Natsu scooted forward, pulling Gray into his lap before anxiously resting one of his hands on his husband’s belly. “Is it the baby? Are they ok?!”

“Bab _ies…_ ” Gray murmured, looking down at his stomach, “Natsu...we’re having twins.”

Natsu inhaled sharply, shoulders tensing, eyes flashing with confusion. “How...How do you know that? We haven’t gotten an ultrasound yet. Unless...you went without me…” Gray didn’t miss the slight edge of hurt in Natsu’s words.

He grabbed the hand on his stomach, intertwining his fingers with Natsu’s, thumb brushing over the fire mage’s knuckles in silent comfort. “Of course not, Flame-brain. I, uh…” Gray ducked his head, slightly embarrassed. “I had a dream.”

“A dream?” Natsu drawled, eyebrows raised dubiously, “What, like a vision or something? You a prophet now?”

“I don’t know! Maybe?” Gray replied hotly, pouting as Natsu rolled his eyes, “I was in the future or something. I saw Akira all grown up and Erza looked so different and you were-”

“Was I hot?” Natsu held Gray’s gaze intently, like it was the most important question in the universe.

Gray glared at him, choosing to stay silent.

“I knew it. I must be damn sexy,” Natsu smirked, leaning in close, “Guess you really did see the future.”

“I hate you.” Gray looked away first, cursing the way his cheeks turned a bright shade of crimson

“Mm sure,” Natsu teased, placing a quick kiss to Gray’s temple, “And you’re so not completely whipped for me.”

“I am _not!”_

“Wanna bet?” 

Gray gulped as Natsu’s eyes glittered with mischief, the weak moonlight tracing his jaw and glinting off of his fangs. Natsu’s lips barely brushed his, but suddenly Gray’s body was humming with want, an electric shock buzzing through his blood.

“Nevermind,” Gray gasped, voice breathy as Natsu pressed a searing kiss against his collarbone, “I really, _really_ hate you.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell that I have a thing with Natsu teasing Gray??? ; )
> 
> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3


	6. What If I Can't Keep You Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! So just so you know, this chapter is a bit different than the rest. It's mainly angst rather than fluff to mix it up, you know? Anyway, I was kinda experimenting with this chapter, so let me know what you think! 
> 
> WARNING: MPREG!!! Also relatively dark themes, including the mention of kidnapping and murder (Sorry...)

_Day 6: Breathe_

For the past two weeks, Natsu’s been hearing the rumors. **  
**

_Did you know? A dark guild has been attacking random towns…_

_They say that nothing’s stolen, nothing’s damaged. The people wake up and all that’s missing is their children…_

_Not even pregnant women are safe. They use some creepy magic that can steal a child straight from the womb! Imagine that…_

_I heard that people have sent search parties. And they find the kids, but it’s too late. They’re already dead…_

_No one’s been able to stop them…_

The old Natsu would have brushed off the frightened tones, the trembling hands, the dull hopelessness in every villager’s eyes. The old Natsu would have worn a cocky grin, would have cracked his knuckles, would have blown the guild doors off of its hinges and charged into battle without hesitation.

The old Natsu wouldn’t have been scared.

But as the dragonslayer clenched the most recent newspaper in his hands, he couldn’t stop the world from spinning. The words were blurring together into incomprehensible blobs of black, the ground swaying under his feet, the quiet voices floating around him were suddenly too loud.

The only thing he could still make out was the headline. Printed in bold, ominous red letters.

Natsu could almost smell the tang of blood on it.

_Crisis: Clover Town Attacked by Infamous Dark Guild._

Natsu wasn’t aware of his fingers burning through the paper, reducing it to ash that was blown away by the crisp morning breeze. He wasn’t aware of Akira pulling on his pant leg beside him, golden eyes wide with confusion. He wasn’t aware of the shopkeeper yelling at him, demanding that he pay for destroying the store’s property.

All he was aware of were the words.

_36 children were kidnapped, between the ages of 0 to 12 years old._

_All were found dead._

“Daddy!”

Natsu jerked, staring down blankly at his daughter.

Akira’s eyes were glistening with unshed tears, jaw quivering as she tried to hold them back. Her fists were curled into Natsu’s clothes, gripping tightly as if she was afraid her Daddy would disappear if she let go. Natsu knew he was scaring her, knew she didn’t understand what was going on, but could sense that something terrible was fast approaching. Like the smell of rain before a storm rolled in.

“Daddy, w-what’s going on…?” Her voice was small and frail, like a leaf trembling against a gail force wind. And suddenly, Natsu remembered that she was only six years old. 

Six years old.

_36 children were kidnapped, between the ages of 0 to 12 years old._

_0 to 12 years old..._

Akira didn’t protest as Natsu scooped her up, clutching her against his chest in an almost bruise-worthy grip. He could vaguely hear the shopkeeper still screaming in the background, but his voice was distorted, like he was speaking underwater. Natsu took a couple of deep breaths, forcing his hands to stop trembling, shaking his head to make the ground stable again. He spun on his heel, tossing a couple of jewels over his shoulder at the red-faced shopkeeper before making his way out of the store.

“Daddy, are you ok?” Akira tugged at his coat, eyebrows furrowed, uncharacteristically serious.

“‘Course Sunshine!” Natsu plastered on a blinding grin, a flash of guilt spiking through him as he gently brushed away the fat tears rolling down his daughters face. “Just heard something...surprising is all.”

Akira didn’t push it, burying her face into Natsu’s neck as her father rubbed soothing circles on her back.

The dragonslayer bit back a growl of frustration as he carried his daughter home. Why was he feeling this way? He had defeated a countless number of threats, _thousands_ of dark guilds. Had decimated monsters that crawled out of the pits of hell and stared death in the face multiple times. He’d faced demons and dragons and primordial forces of magic that made even the wizard saints quake in their boots. And through it all, he had never felt this way. Had never felt like the weight of the world was draped over his shoulders. Had never felt this kind of panic arcing through his body like lightning, making his blood boil, his bones quiver.

He had never felt fear like this before.

He was acutely aware of Akira shivering slightly in his arms, sensing the uneasy tension in Natsu’s shoulders. Was aware of how tiny she was, how fragile. How easy it would be for someone to clamp a hand over her mouth and drag her away. To make her disappear. To pin her down, wrap a hand around her throat and just-

_God damn it, shut up!_

Natsu didn’t realize they were standing in front of their house until the grass caught fire, tiny green blades smothered in hungry flames. He cursed, releasing Akira from his arms to stamp them out, watching absentmindedly as whispery trails of smoke rose upward, faint smudges of black marring the perfectly blue sky

He shook his head, digging his fingers into his skull as if he could pull out all of these thoughts in his mind. This wasn’t like him. It was as Gray often said, he wasn’t the type to think about things so deeply, to mull over the facts. He liked an enemy he could _see_. Could smell and hear and feel. Something he could consume in raging red flames so he could _watch_ as it slowly disintegrated into dust, so he could know for certain that it would never harm his family.

Thinking about all this, the statistics and details and rumors, all it did was remind him of everything that could go wrong. It reminded him that he was no longer the reckless, carefree Natsu Dragneel. The wizard who took the greatest risks and bet it all on his own will power. The one who went running straight into danger with nothing on his mind but crushing his enemies.

Not anymore. Now, he was a husband, a father. He had so much to protect. So much to lose.

And that scared him.

So Natsu did what he did best. He shoved down the dark tendrils of fear, locked them deep inside him where they could never escape. He hid them behind the brilliance of his smile because if he couldn’t touch them, they couldn’t touch him.

Maybe that way they couldn’t touch his family either.

Natsu took Akira’s hand, leading her into their house. As soon as he stepped over the threshold, he felt lighter, safer. This was their home, their nest. Nobody would dare trespass here, and if they did, they’d find a dragon ready and waiting to tear them to pieces.

“Hey, Squirt, go play in your room, ok? Daddy needs to be with Papa for a minute.” Natsu bit his lip when Akira turned to him, amber gaze sharp and searching. It was times like these that he forgot she was so young, with her eyes flashing up at him knowingly. Like she could see right through him. He knew she didn’t understand what was making him act so strangely, but she was ridiculously intuitive sometimes.

Thankfully, Akira didn’t say anything, just gave him a quick hug before bounding up the stairs with a swish of her bright yellow skirt.

He stared at the spot where she disappeared, ears pricking to listen to her footsteps as she walked around upstairs, taking comfort in the fact that she was safe.

For now at least.

Natsu’s head jerked when he heard sounds from the living room, harsh grumbling and curses, making him snort in amusement.

“Natsu, I know you’re there! Get your ass in here and help me!”

The fire mage laughed softly, strolling into the room to see Gray struggling to stand up from the couch. His raven hair was clumped and matted, sticking up all over the place like he had just rolled out of bed. His stomach was massive, so big Natsu was sure he couldn’t see his own toes. The dragonslayer leaned against the door frame, admiring him for a moment. Even looking half dead with bags under his eyes, Natsu couldn’t help but find Gray beautiful. All swollen up with not one, but _two_ of their children. And judging by the size of Gray’s stomach, they’d be able to hold them any day now.

The ice mage glared at Natsu as he approached, lips pursed into a slightly embarrassed pout, pointing to the ground at his feet.

“I dropped my heat pad.”

Natsu rolled his eyes, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. He flopped down on the couch beside his husband, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers enticingly.

“Well, lucky for you, you have the world’s best heat pad, right here.” Ignoring Gray’s feeble protest, Natsu warmed his hands, placing them delicately on Gray’s stomach. His heart fluttered when the ice mage hummed contentedly, leaning into his touch and letting out a relieved sigh.

“Gods that feels good,” Gray murmured, eyes closing in bliss, “The cramps have been getting so much worse, it’s like I’m gonna explode any minute now.”

Natsu didn’t respond, pulling Gray closer and curling himself around his husband, pressing his hands down firmly on Gray’s belly. He nuzzled into his raven hair, inhaling the warm, sleepy aroma of peppermint hot chocolate, laced with undertones of vanilla and cinnamon spice. The babies’ scents. They were getting stronger, and Natsu knew instinctively that it was because their due date was coming up. Probably in a couple of weeks.

Natsu’s breath hitched when he felt movement, something tiny pushing back against his hands as he traced the curve of Gray’s belly.

“They’re gonna come soon,” Gray mumbled drowsily, leaning heavily on Natsu’s shoulder, “And then we’ll introduce them to the world. Maybe we’ll go to Clover Town first. It’s only an hour away.”

Clover Town?

_Crisis: Clover Town Attacked by Infamous Dark Guild._

“Uh...y-yeah,” Natsu stuttered, stopping the slow movement of his fingers over Gray’s skin. The ice mage let out a disgruntled noise, furrowing his brows and looking up at Natsu, blue eyes darkening when he saw the expression on his face.

“Natsu?”

_Maybe we’ll go to Clover Town first, it’s only an hour away._

_Only an hour away…_

Natsu’s body moved before his mind registered it, his arms tightening around Gray, pulling him impossibly closer. The raven haired man opened his mouth in protest, but before he could make a sound, Natsu’s lips slammed onto his.

The dragonslayer growled, low in the back of his throat, desperation and a sickening fear surging through his veins. He crushed his mouth against Gray’s, pinning his husband back against the couch, covering his body with his own.

_36 children were kidnapped…_

He could feel Gray’s fingers hesitantly sliding into his hair, as if they were unsure whether they should encourage Natsu to continue, or push him away and find out what was going on. They chose the latter, gently trying to shove Natsu back, but the dragonslayer refused. Close wasn’t close enough. If Gray was even a centimeter away from him it gave those damn dark wizards an opening to take him away, to take their _children_ away.

_All were found dead…_

Natsu pulled away from Gray’s mouth, burying his face into the ice mage’s neck, ignoring his breathless gasp and heavy breathing. He planted hard, hot kisses onto Gray’s throat, because maybe if Natsu marked him enough it would ward all the evil away. Would tell those demons that Gray belonged to a _dragon_ , and if they even dared to _look_ at him, Natsu would crush their skulls under his feet and relish the sound of their breaking bones.

_All found dead, they were all found dead._

“Natsu, stop, you’ll squish the babies!”

It was like a switch had been flicked. Natsu immediately scrambled off, taking in deep, gulping breaths, his entire body trembling as he frantically checked Gray’s belly for injuries.

“Gods, I’m so sorry! I didn’t...I mean…” Everything was spinning and his body was aching and _god damn it_ was the sound of batting eyelashes always that loud? “Did I hurt them?! Oh gods, I hurt them-”

“Natsu, calm down!”

The dragonslayer looked up, tears shimmering in his green eyes. Gray was flushed and panting, trying to get his breathing under control as he rubbed his stomach. Natsu grabbed at his hands, pulling them away so he could press his ear against Gray’s skin. Shit, if he had hurt them…

“Natsu, they’re ok, _we’re_ ok…” Gray whispered soothingly, gently carding his fingers through his pink hair, “You didn’t hurt us. I promise you didn’t.”

Natsu took a deep, shuddering breath, relaxing when he felt a soft, steady beating against his cheek.

_They’re ok, we’re ok…_

Natsu blinked as Gray stiffened suddenly, an audible gasp escaping him. He could feel something wet quickly spreading, soaking the fabric of Gray’s pants. Natsu frowned, wiping at his eyes. Was he crying? Was _Gray_ crying?

“Um, Natsu,” Gray’s voice was brittle, “M-My water broke…”

Natsu blanked, “Huh?”

“What do you mean, ‘huh’?!” Gray snapped, a sudden flare of anger lighting up his blue eyes, “I said my water broke!”

_Water...breaking? But he didn’t have any water. Does he want me to get another glass…?_

“NATSU, ARE YOU DEAF, OUR GODDAMN CHILD IS COMING RIGHT NOW!”

The dragonslayer jerked back liked he’d been slapped, leaping off the couch and grabbing the backpack sitting by the door. He vaguely heard himself calling for Akira, but his voice sounded so far away. Like he was a spectator in his own body, watching himself being moved with puppet strings.

Akira came barreling down the stairs, jaw dropping at the scene. She took the bag from Natsu while the fire mage helped Gray to his feet, lifting him off the ground and staggering out the door. He could hear Gray’s whimpers and screams in the back of his mind, everything fuzzy and muffled, like Gray’s voice was being filtered through a pillow. Was he going into labor _right now?_ The hospital was too far away, they’d never make it in time. Natsu grit his teeth, shaking himself to clear the fog in his mind before rearranging Gray in his arms and bolting towards the guildhall.

He was aware of Akira stumbling behind him, the huge bag slung over her shoulder. He adjusted his pace so their daughter could keep up, making sure not to jolt Gray too much.

“Breathe, just breathe,” Natsu muttered, over and over again. He clung to the words, his own personal mantra, but his tongue felt huge and awkward in his mouth, his voice sluggish. He didn’t know if he was talking to Gray or to himself, “Just breathe, just breathe...”

_36 children were kidnapped._

_All were found dead._

“Just keep breathing.”

✦ ✦ ✦

Natsu barely remembered what had happened.

It had all passed by in a colorful blur of heightened emotions and shrill screams. Gray’s sweat slicked skin glistening under the guild lights, his features twisting into an expression of deep, agonizing pain, his hand crushing Natsu’s so tightly that if it wasn’t for his magic, Gray would have surely frozen his arm off. 

It was all engraved into Natsu’s mind, the only thing he saw when he closed his eyes.

It had hurt in a way. To see his mate going through such pain. But what had hurt worse was that he could do nothing but watch and wait. Squeezing Gray’s hand and whispering soft reassurances into his ear and pressing his lips against his temple, wishing he could take away at least a bit of his pain.

But Gray was strong. After an hour of incessant curses hissed out between clenched teeth, blue eyes looking at Natsu like he was the bane of existence, Gray yelling _“I am never sleeping with you EVER AGAIN! If you EVER come near me, I’m going to freeze your goddamn balls off!”_ and Lucy’s flustered voice pleading with Gray to calm down, something changed.

Gray’s eyes had cleared slightly, his jaw clenched. When he had looked at Natsu, the dragonslayer’s heart stopped. His dark eyes had been swimming with tears, but it was a look full of determination and love. Of stubborness and anticipation. A look that was purely Gray.

_I have faith in you, love. Be strong for all of us. Just breathe..._

Natsu had been mumbling those words against Gray’s cheek when the first cries rang out through the tense silence of the guildhall.

He heard Lucy let out a stream of excited congratulations, brown eyes twinkling with happiness. Erza had promptly fainted, eyes widening comically before they rolled back into her head. Her body slumped against Mira who cradled her close to her chest with an amused grin. Wendy had let out a breathless squeal, breaking the strict professionalism she was supposed to maintain and whisking the babies away to be cleaned.

But Natsu hadn’t paid much attention to any of it. He was focused solely on Gray. The way his cheeks were flushed pink with exertion, beads of sweat rolling down his face. The way his eyes drooped, struggling to stay open despite Lucy’s assurances that he could rest. The way he glanced over at Natsu, a weak smile gracing his lips.

The way he still looked so beautiful.

And now here he was, sitting on a white cot in the med bay with his arms around his half-asleep husband and the two tiny creatures curled in their laps.

Natsu held his breath as he cradled the pink haired infant against his chest, running his fingers over delicate rosy skin, reveling in its softness, brushing his thumb over one pudgy cheek then the other. His heart twisted in his chest when a little hand curled around his finger, squeezing softly as if to reassure him that everything would be ok.

“They’re perfect…” Natsu’s head turned as Gray shifted, the ice mage’s chin coming to rest heavily on his shoulder as blue eyes peered down at the infant. “They’re so perfect…”

“Y-Yeah,” Natsu choked out, mouth going dry as Gray gently took the baby, settling him beside his twin on the ice mage’s chest.

_And vulnerable and fragile and gods, are they supposed to be that small?_

Natsu felt his throat constrict as he gazed at his family. At the soft smile on Gray’s face, and the little hands clutching onto his silver chain and how the twins nuzzled into Gray’s neck, tucking their heads under his chin, soft hair tickling his cheek. Natsu blinked back tears when the raven haired baby opened his mouth in a sleepy yawn, exposing nothing but toothless gums.

They all looked so delicate. Like one wrong move would make them shatter into a million pieces, scattered to the wind like the ash left behind by a fire. And Natsu would be left to sift through the dust, searching and searching for those remaining shards, trying to piece together the life that had been stolen from him.

Always searching.

Always alone.

Natsu didn’t realize he was crying until Gray’s fingers ran over his cheek, lips pursed into a worried frown, strands of sweaty dark hair falling into his eyes.

Natsu grabbed his hand, squeezing his fingers as tight as Gray had during labor. Sitting next to him now, with his skin all lit up with the afterglow of his pregnancy, and their children curled into his broad chest, looking so damn _beautiful…_

_All were found dead, they were all found dead._

“Natsu, what the hell is going on?” Gray demanded, eyes hardening, a stark contrast to the tender way he pressed a quick kiss to the pink haired twin’s head.

“They were all found dead,” Natsu muttered, ducking his head to hide his tears, “I-In Clover Town, thi-thirty six kids were t-taken and they were all...they were all found dead.”

Gray’s eyes immediately softened, fingers tipping Natsu’s chin up, “That’s...that’s _terrible_...but that’s not why your acting like this, Natsu.”

The words flooded out of him, bursting from his lips like water from a dam. “What if I c-can’t keep you safe? Y-You said it yourself, Clover Town is only a-an hour away, what if they come to Magnolia? No one’s been able to stop them! They-they’re going to take Akira and the twins away and I d-don’t know if I can p-protect you and I don’t want to be _alone_ again, Gray-”

“Natsu,” Gray pushed his thumb against the fire mage’s lips, silencing him, “ _Breathe._ Take a deep breath, love.”

Natsu stared at him wide-eyed, instinctively following his orders.

Gray’s eyes held a steely glint, flashing sharply in the bright lamplight, “Listen here, Flame-brain. I don’t know who put it into your head, but you _don’t_ protect me. We protect _each other_. You’re not the only one responsible for keeping this family safe, and you’re not the only one with something to lose. Half the guild has children of their own, hell, Lucy and Juvia are thinking of getting a sperm donor now!”

Natsu opened his mouth to interrupt, but Gray shot him a glare and the words died on his tongue.

“You think you have to protect all of us? Newsflash, Pyro, we’re not letting you face this alone. Those murderers wanna come to Magnolia? Let them come, they’ll regret it the second they come face to face with Fairy Tail!”

Gray’s eyes blazed with blue fire, brighter and stronger than anything Natsu had ever conjured up. He could feel its power against his tanned skin, burning away the fear in his heart like flames eating away at dead, sickly vines. It was something as ancient as the dragons, as endless as the sky, as deep as the ocean. Something that surpassed magic itself.

It was love. Pure and simple.

“You should know better than most, idiot,” Gray whispered fondly, eyes softening from a dark steel grey to a rich royal blue, “We’re _always_ stronger together. I’m never leaving you alone, Flame-brain. We face this threat _together_ , for better or for worse.”

Natsu let out a breath, the coils around his heart loosening. He leaned forward, resting his forehead against Gray’s, feeling his warm breath against his lips and the ticklish flutter of his lashes against his cheek.

“I love you.”

Gray huffed, “You better. I just gave birth to two goddamn children! You know how much that hurt?”

Natsu just laughed, reaching down to run a hand through their baby’s wispy pink hair.

He could get used to this. A life where Gray would scold him for being an idiot, brows furrowing adorably in anger, but with one kiss to his temple, he’d melt into Natsu’s arms like snow under the summer sun. A life where his children weren’t just protected by his flames, but by Gray’s ice and Lucy’s spirits and Erza’s swords. A life where he would never be alone again.

A life of laughing and loving and just _breathing_ with the people he cared about.

Gray pulled him into a kiss, lips soft yet firm against his own, hand curling behind his neck to drag him closer. The twins were huddled between them and Natsu could feel a tiny hand tugging at his scarf, a tiny face pressed into his chest, a tiny heart beating against his own.

He purred as Gray bit down lightly on his lip.

Yeah, he could definitely get used to this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you really think I wouldn't give it a happy ending???
> 
> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3


	7. Connection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Four years ago, he would’ve thought it was insane, but he couldn’t help the tug of longing. The sliver of a wish that they were still inside of him, that he could still feel them tapping on his belly, that he could still have that exclusive connection with them. He supposed it was selfish. He wanted them all for himself, sheltered within his body, safe in a place where he knew exactly where they were, exactly what they wanted, exactly what they were doing. But now they were out there. In a world that was unpredictable at best and downright cruel at worst. A world where he would wake up and wouldn’t instantly feel their presence. A world where he couldn’t always keep them safe. They were their own people, free to travel as far away from him as they wanted. He would lose sight of them in the crowd, and he’d feel that nagging surge of fear that he had lost them.
> 
> And maybe, one day, he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well this is it guys! The last part to my Gratsu week story. I just wanted to give a big, beautiful THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me from the very beginning, and to those who jumped on the ship half-way too! Heck, even if you’ve only read this very last update, I’m still so grateful to you!!! It was a short journey, but it was still a journey, and I’ve cherished every bit <333
> 
> Quick Note: Sunflowers are apparently 6-10 feet tall?? Don’t know how I feel about a flower being taller than me, but for the sake of this story let’s say they’re a little taller than four feet.

_Day 7: Sunflower/Kids/Play_

Gray gasped softly as Natsu pushed him down onto the sheets, warm breath puffing against his skin as the dragonslayer placed sweet kisses down the curve of his neck. Every press of his lips against pale skin left behind a tingle of warmth, a trail of fire starting from Gray’s mouth and winding over his cheek and passed his jaw, licking at his throat before lingering on his exposed collarbone.

Natsu purred as Gray’s fingers ghosted over his shoulder blade, light touches against the hard muscles of his arms before wandering down the length of his spine. His chilly touch on burning skin served only to feed the flames, Natsu’s lips growing insistent, pulling up deep purple bruises as his teeth nipped at Gray’s neck.

The ice mage hummed as Natsu’s fingers traveled up his leg, thumb brushing his thigh before curling around his waist. Nails dug into Gray’s hip, sending little jolts of electricity buzzing through his blood, his body heating up as if Natsu’s fire magic was pouring into him.

Gray sighed, reveling in the feeling of Natsu on top of him, soft lips brushing his skin, rough fingers sneaking under his shirt, pink hair tickling his cheek as Natsu bit down hard on his collarbone.

“Damn, it’s been so long,” Natsu growled, voice low and dark and velvety, licking at the red mark gracing Gray’s smooth skin, “I’ve _missed_ this.”

Gray laughed breathlessly, leaning forward to kiss Natsu’s shoulder, “It’s your-ahhh fault...you just...just had to give me t-two kids ‘stead of one.” Gray made a soft sound as Natsu purred, the deep rumble sending a shudder up Gray’s spine. “The Great-mmm, the Great Salamander just had to go an’...an’ be an overachiever.”

“Damn straight.”

Gray pouted, hands cupping Natsu’s face, pulling him away from his neck to look him in the eye, “But you’re gay.”

Natsu smirked, taking Gray’s lips in a hot, open-mouthed kiss, “Hell yeah I am.”

Gray blushed, the color startlingly bright against the paleness of his skin. He could tell that warmth was coming off of his cheeks in waves, face heating up as Natsu’s teeth bit down on his bottom lip. Knew Natsu could feel it too, because he pulled away, eyes wide and reverent as his fingers came up to brush against the pretty pink.

Gray’s heart stuttered, breath coming out in shallow pants, lost in the depths of those green eyes that could set the whole world on fire. And Gray wouldn’t mind. Would gladly let the flames consume him if it meant he could stay here, with this man, in this moment, doing everything they wanted to do.

“Natsu...I lo-”

There was a loud crash, like something had been toppled over. Gray’s ears picked up on a muffled _boom_ , his sensitive nose twitching as the harsh scent of smoke drifted in from the hallway.

Natsu groaned, burying his face in Gray’s neck in frustration, “Can we just let Akira figure it out?”

Gray pursed his lips, humming thoughtfully, “Well, I guess-”

“GET BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE GREMLIN!”

Gray exhaled softly, wincing at the shrillness in Akira’s voice, “Yeah...that’s a _no_.”

Natsu sighed, rolling off of Gray and flopping onto the sheets. Gray snorted at his disappointed expression, straightening his shirt and running a hand through his mussed up hair to smooth it down. 

Gray expected to find a shelf knocked over, a few toys reduced to ash by Kai’s spontaneous bursts of magic, maybe some singe marks on the walls.

What he did _not_ expect was to see the whole room on fire.

Gray gawked, in the middle of rearranging his collar to cover the bite marks on his neck, eyes widening as he took in the scene.

Dazzling blue flames were _everywhere_ , creeping up the walls, clawing at the curtains, slowly eating their way towards the twins’ beds. Gray watched, dumbfounded, as a half-naked Kai zipped around the room on chubby legs, fire clinging to his pants and the remaining scraps of his shirt, but not harming the pale skin underneath. He wore a face-splitting grin, giggling as Akira chased him with a livid expression, the golden blaze in her eyes rivaling the flames all around them.

Ira was sitting in the middle of the destruction like he didn’t even notice what was happening, a serene look on his face as he dragged his fingers across the floor. From his fingertips, shimmering trails of pinkish ice sprung up, following his hands as they traced simple shapes and patterns against the hardwood, turning the floor into one massive fingerpainting. As Gray massaged his temples, the pink haired four year-old burst into tears as the hungry blue flames melted his pretty drawings, leaving nothing behind but shallow puddles of water.

_I’m the only goddamn sane person in this house._

Gray’s brow twitched when he heard a low whistle beside him, turning his head to find Natsu observing the chaos with a slightly admiring gleam in his eyes.

“Wow, Kai’s magic has gotten really powerful, hasn’t i-”

“Natsu,” Gray hissed out from between clenched teeth, “Take your son and go outside so our house doesn’t burn down.”

Natsu pouted, “Oh so _now_ he’s my son-”

Gray whirled on him, eyes darkened with irritation, “He’s blowing stuff up with _your_ goddamn magic, so yes right now he’s _your_ son!”

Gray smirked in satisfaction when Natsu gulped, watching as his husband swiftly swallowed the bright blue fire, eyes lighting up at the taste. A wave of relief washed over Gray as the flames disappeared, leaving behind nothing but burn marks and the overpowering scent of smoke and pine needles.

“C’mon little dragonslayers,” Natsu chirped, scooping Kai up and slinging him over his shoulder. The little boy squealed, legs flailing, green eyes twinkling, sticking his tongue out at Akira as his sister glowered at him. Natsu looked down when Ira tugged at his pants, settling the other twin on his hip before striding out of the room. “We better go outside, Papa’s no fun when he’s grouchy.”

Gray scowled as Natsu passed him, breaking into a smile only to place a chaste kiss on Kai’s nose before the three of them disappeared into the hallway.

 _“Kids,”_ Akira huffed, crossing her arms in distaste, “They can be so annoying.”

Gray’s lips quirked in amusement, taking in the ten year-old’s ruffled, slightly singed hair and the exasperated tilt of her chin. “Oh really? You know you’re still a kid too, angel.”

Akira pursed her lips, picking at a loose thread on her red sweater, “Well yeah, but Kai is a whole other level of crazy. Can’t he just be quiet like Ira?”

“The little firecracker’s got too much of Daddy in him to sit still for long,” Gray chuckled, running a hand through her hair to smooth out the tangles, “Makes things a little more interesting don’t you think?”

“Oh, it’ll definitely be interesting when the house burns down,” Akira grumbled, closing her eyes and leaning into Gray’s touch, “But I guess that’s ok, we can always get another house. But we can’t get another Kai.”

Gray’s eyebrows rose in surprise, laughing as he kissed the top of his daughter’s head. “Wise words from someone so young.”

His heart fluttered at the warm sparkle in Akira’s eyes, taking her hand to lead her onto the porch, outside where the rest of their family was waiting.

“Well, I am the best big sister, right?” Akira flashed him a cocky grin, an extra swagger in her step as she followed him out the door.

He laughed, “Best big sister in all of Fiore.”

✦ ✦ ✦

Gray found Natsu in the sunflower field in front of their house, the setting sun silhouetting him in bright amber light. Streaks of orange and purple stretched across the darkening sky, wisps of clouds curling into pretty pink swirls against the deep blue.

The sunflowers were tall, up to Natsu’s waist, wide yellow petals facing the golden glow of the sun peeking out from between the trees. So tall that Gray couldn’t see Kai or Ira playing in the field. Could only track them by the way the flowers swayed slightly when there was no breeze, the way laughter spontaneously rang out from random places, the way Natsu’s eyes shimmered with love as he followed their children’s movement.

“Can’t catch me now, ‘Kira!” Kai teased, voice coming from some unknown place hidden by the tall plants.

In the back of his mind, Gray registered Akira letting go of his hand, eagerly diving into the sunflower field. She was tall enough so that he could still see the top of her head, raven hair bobbing through a sea of yellow and green.

“Ha! I found—WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!”

Gray’s breath hitched as Natsu’s booming laugh echoed over the field. He could have sworn, that for an instant, the sunflowers all turned to his mate, mistaking his blinding smile for the sun itself.

_Kai must’ve burned his clothes off again. Guess that’s one way to strip._

Gray chuckled under his breath, continuing to listen to Akira’s scolding, interrupted by Ira’s soft voice as he tried to coax his sister to let Kai off the hook. After a few moments, Akira’s annoyed reprimands died down, enveloping the field in silence, broken only by the occasional rustling of leaves and the groan of the porch as Gray stepped on a wobbly floorboard.

The ice mage bit his lip, laughter fading when he couldn’t hear the twins’ voices anymore, eyes narrowing as he tried to spot them among the sunflowers. The longer he watched, the more uneasy he grew. He could still see Akira’s dark hair contrasting starkly with the vibrant colors around her, could still see Natsu wading through the thick gathering of flowers, could still see the plants trembling as his family pushed through them.

But he couldn’t see his sons.

A familiar prickle of panic itched at Gray’s skin. His hand came up almost subconsciously, rubbing his stomach lightly, remembering a time when Kai and Ira weren’t so far away from him. Even after so long, he still didn’t like having his babies out of his sight.

Four years ago, he would’ve thought it was insane, but he couldn’t help the tug of longing. The sliver of a wish that they were still inside of him, that he could still feel them tapping on his belly, that he could still have that exclusive connection with them. He supposed it was selfish. He wanted them all for himself, sheltered within his body, safe in a place where he knew exactly where they were, exactly what they wanted, exactly what they were doing. But now they were out there. In a world that was unpredictable at best and downright cruel at worst. A world where he would wake up and wouldn’t instantly feel their presence. A world where he couldn’t always keep them safe. They were their own people, free to travel as far away from him as they wanted. He would lose sight of them in the crowd, and he’d feel that nagging surge of fear that he had lost them.

And maybe, one day, he would.

“Papa!”

Gray jerked out of his thoughts, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked out into the field. The sunflowers closest to him quivered, leaves swishing as something shoved them aside.

Kai and Ira emerged from between the flowers, wide eyes dancing with laughter. Their soft, chubby faces were flushed, little yellow petals clinging to their hair, bright gold against black and dark pink.

They ran towards him as Akira shouldered her way out from the field, Natsu close behind with a hand on her back. Gray noted with a flutter of amusement that Kai was, in fact, naked. But he didn’t seem to care, arms reaching out for Gray as his lips stretched into a dazzling Natsu-smile.

Kai got to him first, tackling his legs at full speed, making Gray stumble with a soft _oof_. The ice mage sat down, pulling his son into his lap, eyes crinkling with joy when Kai pressed his face into his chest. He could feel his son smiling against his skin, fists latching onto his shirt as Kai tucked himself under his Papa’s chin. Gray’s heart skipped when Ira came up beside him, wrapping his arms around Gray’s neck with a contented sigh. He buried his head in Gray’s shoulder, pink hair tickling his father’s ear. Gray nuzzled Ira softly, taking comfort in the familiar coolness of his skin, sensing the ice magic pumping through his veins, so similar to his own, yet so different.

The older ice mage closed his eyes, tilting his head back as he breathed in the scent of sunflowers and vanilla and cinnamon spice, a deep sense of peace washing over him. This was where he belonged.

His ears twitched as Natsu settled next to him with Akira cuddling close to his side, a strong arm snaking around Gray’s waist to rub small circles on his back. Gray leaned into his mate, dizzy from the warm smell of home and the feeling of his heart overflowing.

He never thought he’d have this. Any of this.

The cozy house nestled on the outskirts of Magnolia, covered in frost and fire from the twins unpredictable magic. The sunflower field that greeted him every morning, the startling yellow petals catching the early rays of dawn. The husband that saved him from himself, even though Gray didn’t think he was worth being saved.

The children that made his life worth living, who made every day an adventure, and every night the sweetest of dreams.

“Love you, Papa and Daddy…” Kai murmured sleepily, letting out a soft purr when Natsu reached over to run a hand through his raven hair. He trailed off, curling up into a tight ball in Gray’s lap, the overuse of his magic finally pulling him into sleep.

“To the stars and back,” Ira finished, blue eyes glittering proudly when his fathers glanced over at him.

Natsu laughed, and it was different from his usual laugh. Not so loud, not so bright. But soft and warm and affectionate. A secret laugh reserved only for his family.

“That’s right, Pipsqueak,” Natsu buried his nose in Gray’s hair, voice dreamy and faraway, like he was remembering a fond memory from long ago, “To the stars and back.”

Gray smiled, pulling Ira closer to kiss the top of his head, tears pricking at the edges of his eyes.

It happened so fast, Gray thought he had imagined it.

There was a flash of magic, a warm sensation spreading over his skin, and for a moment, Gray’s heartbeat sounded unusually loud in his ears.

No, not heartbeat.

Heart _beats._

He could feel them. Kai and Ira’s hearts beating in tune with his own. Gray inhaled sharply as he was whisked away to the past, back to a time when he would lay in bed and focus on that feeling. The feeling of having more than one heart inside him. The feeling of creating life born from love. The feeling of making miracles.

_My little miracles._

But this was the real miracle. The fact that they were now separate beings, but still had that same connection. Something sacred, forged with unconditional love and patience and long hours spent dreaming about laughing faces and tiny hands and soft skin. The twins were apart from him, but they were still _a part_ of him. No matter how far they traveled, the tether that bound them would never break. It would stretch, and twist, and knot, and fray, but it would not snap, no matter what.

And that was the greatest miracle of all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I didn't realize until after I wrote this that if you take the name "Akira" and split it into two pieces - meaning "Aki" and "Ira" - you can scramble the first part to form "Kai" and the second part is already "Ira" and just...
> 
> It makes it so perfect haha, can't believe I didn't notice that before!
> 
> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3

**Author's Note:**

> Follow me at my Tumblr: starfirexl <3


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